


Chrysalis AU

by Mhunter99



Series: RWBY Chrysalis Universe [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Adam Taurus Being an Asshole, Alternate Universe - High School, Author is Polyamorous, Author is a Trans Woman, Author is trans, Autistic Penny Polendina, Bad Parent Jacques Schnee, Bisexual Blake Belladonna, Blake Belladonna is a Person of Color, Bullying, Canon Trans Character, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Depression, Domestic Violence, F/F, F/M, Found Family, Gender Dysphoria, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Misgendering, Mourning, Multi, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Pansexual Yang Xiao Long, Past Blake Belladonna/Adam Taurus, Penny Polendina is a Person of Color, Polyamory, Raven Branwen being a Neglectful Parent, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts, Trans Female Character, Trans Jaune Arc, Trans Male Character, Trans Mercury Black, Trans Neon Katt, Trans Penny Polendina, Trans Weiss Schnee, Transphobia, deadnaming, slow burn relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:14:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 179,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27878190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mhunter99/pseuds/Mhunter99
Summary: When Weiss realized she was trans it explained so much...and was also heartbreaking. How was she supposed to be anything other than what her overbearing abusive father wants? How can she ever be herself in a family like hers? A story of love, angst, acceptance and overcoming adversity. Join team RWBY as they navigate high school and LGBT issues. Bees Schnees poly ship. Centered on Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Ruby facing problems. Narration switches regularly.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina, Joanna Greenleaf/Robyn Hill/May Marigold/Fiona Thyme, Neptune Vasilias/Sun Wukong, Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose
Series: RWBY Chrysalis Universe [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041190
Comments: 131
Kudos: 205





	1. The Path to Isolation

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Chrysalis (Outdated)](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/721682) by Mhunter99. 



> This fic is based off of a fic I wrote on Fanfiction a while back, and am now rewriting as a much more complex story. The current fic is being uploaded to both FFN and Ao3.  
> One last disclaimer, I wanna give a heads up. For characters the current narrator doesn't know are trans, those characters may be misgendered by the narration.

Jacques Schnee was one of those names that in one way or another, everyone knew. The Schnee Automobile Company had been started by Nicholas Schnee, about sixty years ago. Nicholas Schnee had started the company based on his design for a safer engine, which was easier to maintain. This success easily brought him to levels of wealth in which he could have used to move out of Idaho, and to a better known state such as New York or California, but Nicholas Schnee despised the concept. While Idaho definitely had its problems, he never saw fit to leave those problems behind to move somewhere easier. If that had been the case, he would have just waited for someone else to make the better engine.

No, instead, he was a man of opportunity, and he was determined to improve Idaho for the better. He used his finances to fund projects to clean the state up, and was well on his way to making a real difference when he passed away in his fifties, leaving his company to his daughter, Willow. Willow loved the idea of continuing his legacy and using the company for the better.

Unfortunately, that plan died when she married Jacques.

Jacques did something quite out of the ordinary, he took her last name when they married. This may have even seemed on the surface to be a feminist move, but anyone who had ever been in a room with the man knew better. Jacques was no humanitarian, and was certainly no feminist. What he was, at his core, was a businessman. Nicholas may have started the company, but Jacques knew exactly how to soar it to new heights.

Those heights may have come at the cost of turning the company from a green local mark of pride to a power-hungry monolith, however; Jacques coasted on this victory, amounting to several hundred million dollars of wealth. He couldn't compete with the billionaires running the wealthiest companies, but it was his dream that his daughter, Winter, would manage to bring the company to that point. After all, what could go wrong? He drilled into her head every cutthroat tactic to ensure success in a corporate setting, he pushed her to be the perfect mathematician, very few students ever had such a high average. She was only eight years old and yet the lowest score she had ever received on any school project was ninety-two, and she was quickly reminded that even that score is unacceptable in the Schnee family.

It is true, he did grant her some freedoms that perhaps weren't necessary, from his perspective at least. She did spend a considerable amount of time with her friends. Ciel, he approved of her, she was similarly successful and would likely make a good ally for Winter in the coming years, and ensure that she didn't lose sight of her goals. Ilia, however, fell short of his requirements in almost every way. The girl's parents were _retail_ _workers_ , for one. There was nothing they could ever teach her about success, obviously. Ciel and Winter were also shining examples of a time Jacques wished had stayed relevant, a time when women knew the place they stood in, and didn't try to step outside of it.

Ilia, however, was... what did the kids call it? A tomboy? She wore tank tops, spent no time on makeup, and didn't speak softly as her friends always did. She was everything Jacques loathed about her generation.

It would give him much more peace of mind if Winter would seek out a more acceptable friend to occupy her time, or better yet- spend that time improving her chances of success as a businesswoman.

“Jacques, dear,” Willow greeted as Jacques stepped through the door into the house. “In a little over an hour, I will be taking Winter to the museum, for her history project. During that time, would you be willing to drive her friends back home?”

“Don't be silly, we have people for that,” Jacques chuckled, relaxing as he closed the door to the mansion. He stepped into the kitchen, and absentmindedly poured himself a glass of scotch. “How long have her friends been here?”

“A few hours now,” Willow smiled, as she took a seat at their dining room table. “But I'm sure they wouldn't mind a few more minutes. How was your day at the office?”

“Our board meeting went well. Profits are up seventeen percent from last week. The Nampa branch has been bringing our averages down, as usual, so I made it clear that if the issue isn't resolved, I'll take it into my own hands. Everyone at that branch will be let go, and new hires will be pulled from more reputable sources. If it hadn't been for them, we could've been up by as much as twenty-nine percent. This is the third week they've been causing this high of a dent in profits,” he sighed. He continued to ramble, Willow pretending to show interest so that Winter had more time to play with Ciel and Ilia, after all, god knows Winter's been pushed far enough to succeed.

Across the house was the room in question. Winter Schnee's room reflected the sacrifices Winter herself had to make to succeed, as many elements of personality were missing in trade for that clean, professional look that had been forced upon her. Most kids her age had a messy room, with movie or video game posters pasted on the walls, action figures or dolls strewn about or at best, lined up on shelves.

Winter's room, on the other hand, was spotless. The window was so clean you'd be forgiven for thinking it wasn't there at all, and the walls had no posters or calendars to mask their white tone. Her bed had been made with hospital corners, and without a single wrinkle allowed, as it had been for years. Every surface was dusted daily, and the only things of note within the room were the light blue bed with only two pillows as opposed to the mountains of throw pillows or stuffed animals one might expect; a stainless steel study desk against her wall, and the doors to her closet and bathroom.

At this particular moment, however, something contrasted the professional and cold tone of the room as much as possible, and that was the four children within it. Ilia was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. As Jacques himself noted, her clothing style contrasted Winter and Ciel's, at this moment consisting of cargo pants and a black tank top with a band logo on it. Winter was returning from the room, eagerly showcasing her designer jacket in the process, as she carried makeup supplies over to Ciel, who was standing in front of the office chair that matched Winter's desk, carefully applying makeup with skill most eight-year-olds didn't possess. Ciel wore a very simple white top with a long blue skirt.

The fourth child in the room was the youngest, at five years old. Ciel finally finished applying the makeup, and took a step back, allowing everyone to see.

“I have finished applying the makeup,” Ciel said, clasping her hands behind her back. “I hope the result is satisfactory.”

“You look adorable!” Winter beamed, looking down at her younger sibling, who was hopping off of the chair.

“Really?” the sibling asked, eyes wider than life. “It's not weird?”

“No, it's perfect,” Winter reassured. The child looked to Ilia, who so far hadn't given any feedback. Ilia relented, giving a nod of approval.

“Not bad,” she said.

If Ilia had anything more to add to that, she didn't get a chance to say it, because the door to the room swung open with no warning, and the tall figure of Jacques Schnee stood in the doorway, caught up in his own words before he took in the room.

“Winter, it's time for your friends to go, your-” he began, and then seemed to choke on his tongue for a second. “What the _hell_ is this?”

Winter looked up to Jacques in shock, eyes wide.

“Ciel and I wanted to practice makeup,” Winter said nervously. “I just thought-”

“No,” Jacques interrupted, eliciting a flinch from Winter. “You clearly didn't. Apparently at some point I failed to teach you this, so let me make it blindingly clear right now. Warren is a _boy_ , and he shouldn't be in a dress and covered in makeup. Your trip to the museum is in an hour. Get your brother out of all of... that... and be ready. Klein will take your friends home.”

“I- yes, father,” Winter said, wincing at his harsh, irate tone.

Jacques turned and left the room, punctuating his departure with a violent slam of the door. Winter jumped, and the five year old in the center of the room recoiled in fear.

“Wh- why was he so mad?” the child asked, trembling.

“Hey, it's okay,” Ilia began, reaching out a hand.

“This was a mistake,” Winter interrupted, a stern expression. “Father was right.”

“B-but-” her younger sibling stammered.

“But nothing. Ciel, get the makeup wipes,” Winter snapped.

* * *

Warren watched as Ilia and Ciel promptly left, Jacques' stern glare scornfully passing over them. Winter was readying herself for her trip, and Warren was waiting for the rant that was sure to come. And sure enough-

“Warren,” Jacques growled, as Klein left with Winter's friends. “Is it really necessary that I explain to you your place?”

“I-”

“Quiet,” Jacques spat. “This behavior is embarrassing. You're a Schnee, you're supposed to be the elite, you're supposed to fix this generation. Idiot children your age are going to be the downfall of society at this rate. I thought you were above that, but it appears I was wrong.”

Warren shrank back in fear as Jacques loomed in front, a goliath towering before him.

“No son of mine will play around in dresses. It's time you ask yourself an important question. Are you a degenerate or are you a Schnee?” Jacques ranted.

Warren looked down, in uncomfortable silence.

“Speak up, boy! That wasn't rhetorical!”

“A Schnee, father,” Warren said, nervously.

“Good. If you forget it, I'll be sure to remind you,” Jacques growled. “Now get out of my sight and get to work on your studies, don't think I'll accept failure just because of this!”

Warren nodded, and quickly ran back to his own room, which was identical to Winter's in almost every way. The desk by the bed was smaller, slightly, and there was a figure of a knight holding a greatsword on the desk, a family heirloom passed down from Nicholas Schnee himself. In addition, in a display on one of the room's walls sat a rather strange rapier, which had also been passed down from Warren's grandfather. It seemed that the rapier had been made with the intention of also serving as a revolver, but was never able to successfully function as such. Regardless, Warren rather enjoyed its unique look.

After closing the door, Warren took a seat at the small desk, mind still swimming with the events of the past hour. It had never been his intention to disappoint his father, and he still couldn't quite understand why wearing a dress and makeup had particularly been _wrong_ , though embarrassment did burn inside of him.

Whatever the reason, despite only being five years old, Warren understood what was expected of him, and tried to focus on the assignments in front of him.

* * *

Several years passed since that day, and most of the family pushed to simply pretend it had never happened. Warren knew that this was probably for the best, as Jacques was not a forgiving father. He did everything he could to forget it, to move on, and yet he never was able to. Shopping trips with Winter always seemed to serve as a reminder, with each time he saw a stylish shirt or a makeup kit.

He couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with him, why he struggled so much with this. Was this normal? Did everyone feel this way? Did everyone feel uncomfortable at their very name being spoken, like it was some sort of insult the world had collectively decided to force onto them? Did everyone else feel a strange sense of envy towards their classmates of the opposite sex? The way people called him 'boy' always felt wrong, as did the expectations those around him always seemed to have. The other boys in class always seemed excited about the classes about wars, always seemed excited for sports, especially dodgeball, but none of it felt like him.

Granted, there were some male students that also didn't fit the stereotype, but this felt different. Many of them didn't have an interest in wars or sports, but didn't seem to recoil at words like 'he' or 'his', they seemed content with who everyone thought they were. It always seemed to sit in the back of his mind. Then, one day, he got an answer, a rationalization that made everything more clear. One of the other students in his seventh grade social studies class came out as transgender.

Unfortunately, Jacques Schnee had personally seen to it that that word had never been taught to Warren. It wasn't exactly a commonly used word at the time anyways, so it wasn't exactly an overwhelming effort. So it wasn't until Neon Katt clarified to a few of the students in class exactly what she meant.

Warren had never felt so torn.

Suddenly, it all made sense! An explanation was there, one that took every fear, every worry, every discomfort Warren had ever felt about gender, and gave a clear answer.

And yet, it arguably was worse. It suddenly felt both clear, but out of reach. Jacques Schnee would rant about his beliefs that gay relationships were inherently perverted and a disgrace to the world, and while this wasn't the same, surely he looked at transgender people under the same lens.

His suspicions were confirmed during a business party Jacques held with the Schnee Auto partner, Marigold Advertising and Marketing. Henry Marigold, the heir to the company and one of Warren's closest friends from elementary, let it slip that his cousin was transgender, in less than respectful terms.

Henry was immediately scolded for 'bringing up that disappointment', but Warren's attention was on Jacques, who was disgusted. Warren had heard the term 'transgender' for the first time only about two months earlier, and on this day he learned several more derogatory equivalents of that word. He did his best to hide his fear, his discomfort with the situation, and passed it off as agreement with Jacques' disgust.

It wasn't just Jacques that he noted the reactions of. Winter was also attending, and much to his disappointment, she nodded in agreement with Jacques' words. Whitley, his brother of three years younger, was also present, and he simply snickered at the remarks being thrown around.

When it was all done, Warren secluded himself in his room. That party was one of the most lonely moments of his life thus far, and that said something given just how frequently the Schnee family was cold to one another. It tied with his tenth birthday, which resulted in not only the worst argument he had seen between his parents, but in the months that followed, Willow Schnee fading into the background, interacting with bottles of wine more than with her own children.

After giving it significant thought and despite working in every step to stay buried in the closet, eventually it became undeniable. _She_ wasn't happy. She felt suffocated, and wanted out, but at the same time knew better.

Sure, in her head, maybe she could get a small victory in knowing that Weiss was her true name, but in reality, she knew that she would still probably always be referred to as Warren.

She would give anything to start over, somewhere else, with different parents. She felt intense envy every time Neon was around, wishing she could be even a fraction as free and happy.

And when Weiss started attending Taylor High School, everything seemed to take a turn for the worse as the Marigold family moved back into town, and she was forced to take on her father's worst aspects to keep her true feelings, her true self, buried deep out of sight.

  
  



	2. Taylor High School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss tries to navigate her morning at Taylor High School, with personal difficulty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, this chapter covers some pretty intense transphobia and bullying.

In the Boise School District, elementary school encompassed kindergarten through to sixth grade, junior high encompassed seventh to ninth grade, and then high school covered sophomore through to senior year.

Weiss Schnee had been sixteen years old for about four months when September began, which had marked the beginning of her junior year. She had graduated her sophomore year tied with Henry Marigold and Melanie Malachite in the top percent of the class. Jacques Schnee was disappointed that she hadn't managed to take the top spot, but hadn't scolded her for the matter for too long, so she took the small victory where she could.

It would take all of her hardest work to be able to exceed those expectations this year, but as her alarm went off, at five-fifteen that morning, she knew she had little say in the matter.

In most regards, Weiss' bedroom hadn't changed much since she was five years old. Her bed and desk had been switched with larger ones, and her desk had a rather expensive laptop decorating it, but aside from those three differences, it was the exact same room.

Weiss sat up, rubbing her eyes before she turned off her alarm. She knew full well from Ms. Salem's biology class that adolescents required eight to ten hours of sleep ideally, but quite ironically, the homework from that very class generally kept her up until midnight, allowing her just over half of the recommended time.

She stood from her bed and took a few minutes to make her bed, complete with hospital corners and pulled taught to ensure that not a single wrinkle showed. Then she moved over to her closet, sighing at the bland selection before her. For parties and events, she had three white business suits, which she couldn't help but wilt at the thought of being forced into. Next were her clothes for day to day, which consisted of short sleeved polos, all either a single shade of grey or a single shade of white. If she had her say in it, her closet would look closer to Melanie Malachite's, which was crammed with elegant dresses and designer tops.

She reluctantly grabbed a white polo for the day, and a pair of pale khakis from her dresser, and then moved into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

With a wince, she glanced at her reflection, something she didn't see often due to an outright refusal to keep any mirrors in her room. She had her mother's incredibly pale complexion, and she had also inherited her mother's platinum hair color, unlike Winter, who had gotten Jacques' black hair and, just like Jacques, dyed it to match the trademark Schnee hair tone. From her father, she had gotten the icy blue eye color, just another thing that she hated due to its origin.

Weiss did enjoy one part of her appearance, and that was her height. She was five feet, four inches (a hundred sixty-two centimeters in the metric system). Her father would often remark she just hadn't hit her growth spurt yet, but it was also possible she had gotten her mother's height, which Weiss desperately hoped was the case.

Her hair was kept cut in a similar fashion to Jacques, something he had always been strict about. About two and a half inches was the longest he would allow her hair to get, and she always had to style it out of her face. She refused to slick it back like Jacques, and took solace in keeping it gelled from her right to her left. She longed for the opportunity to grow her hair out, even something like that felt impossible.

With a sigh, she stepped into the shower, vigorously scrubbing to ensure that she was as clean as possible. About twenty minutes later, she reemerged to gel her hair and to shave, as she refused to let even the slightest stubble show.

Once the work was done, and she was dressed, she grabbed her backpack, double checking that her homework was present, and stepped out of the house.

Schnee Manor was two stories tall, and made of white bricks usually associated with government buildings. It was a massive house, comprised of two living rooms, six bedrooms, an office, a bar stocked top shelf imported liquor, a parlor, a swimming pool, a massive kitchen, and a rather long dining room which could be argued functioned as a dining hall. From the outside, it was about three times the size of a nice house. The garage itself had an eight car capacity, and had two doors. The back lawn contained the swimming pool and covered about an acre. The front lawn was about fifty yards long, and both were well maintained daily.

The property was surrounded by a rather extensive wall, about seven feet tall and eight inches thick, made of similar bricks as the house. Security was well invested in, as Jacques had a certain paranoia of being stolen from. At any given point in time, the outside of the building had twelve bodyguards patrolling or watching specific points.

With every step away from the manor, Weiss felt the slightest bit more free, the slightest bit lighter. When she reached the front gate, she walked up to the keypad.

“Heading out to school, Mr. Schnee?” a heavy voice asked from behind her. She let herself cringe visibly for just a moment, before turning to acknowledge the speaker. He was a behemoth of a man, roughly six feet, ten inches (208 centimeters) and with arms slightly thicker than Weiss' head. Weiss knew for a fact that Hazel Rainart was the most expensive member of Jacques' force, having served in the military for five years and being one of the most intimidating men in the country.

“Mr. Rainart,” Weiss said, giving a curt nod. “You're correct.”

“I'd still recommend you have Mr. Seiben drive you to school,” Mr. Rainart said.

“I appreciate the concern, but it's important for me to get regular exercise,” Weiss lied, hoping he wouldn't press the issue.

“It would be far safer,” Mr. Rainart said.

“I'll be safe,” Weiss said. “I promise.”

“Very well,” Mr. Rainart said, before moving on to continue his patrol.

Weiss sighed, punching in the code to open the gate and hurrying off of the property.

The manor was in the residential district of downtown Boise, which was a strange melting pot of social classes. Sure, there was a manor in the area, but there were also comparatively cheap duplexes and apartments within the area as well. The fact that there was so much of a variation in the surrounding environment had been a massive contribution to Jacques' insistence on turning the manor into arguably a more protected building than the state capitol.

Weiss didn't mind the variation, she actually welcomed it. It ensured that she quickly felt as though the Schnee Manor was miles behind her, letting her pretend for the moment that she never had to return. It paired with the real reason she insisted on walking, it was the only period of time she didn't have her father's expectations threatening to pressure her into dust. She could be free from his gaze, and wasn't yet at school, where she had to stop being Weiss and start being Warren, the conservative bully.

True, she didn't _have_ to be homophobic and transphobic in school, but the friends Jacques required her to have were bigoted, so if she broke away from them to be better, his wrath would flare like it did any time she let him down. Not to mention, she was constantly investing energy into keeping anyone from knowing she was trans, and being transphobic was a pretty effective deterrent.

It was a bittersweet walk, as this was the same route that had confirmed to her that Winter would never accept her, that how close they were wouldn't earn Weiss even the slightest favor. After all, years before, this was where Ilia had come out of the closet as a lesbian, which Winter responded to by shunning her until eventually Ilia just stopped trying to be around them.

Winter's stance being clear only pushed Weiss further into the closet. Most families have at least some love and appreciation from each member to one another, but Weiss knew hers was an exception. Jacques didn't see Weiss as anything more than a pawn, Willow hadn't spoken to Weiss in three years, and Whitley usually only bothered to speak to her if he was playing an angle, if he wanted something. Winter, she was the closest Weiss ever felt to actually being loved by her family. Winter would stand up for her when things got bad, and she regularly visited from her university, primarily so that Weiss had someone to talk to.

But if Winter knew...

Weiss couldn't stop herself from visualizing what would happen. She could hear Winter's words. She could hear Winter calling her _a freak_ , _a disgrace, a disappointment._

It felt as though it was impossible to show Weiss unconditional love. She would occasionally try to convince herself that she didn't care, that if her family couldn't accept her she was better without them, but she knew she was lying to herself. Her family's love was as important to her as transitioning, arguably even more so. After all, she kept herself in the closet for the minuscule traces of affection she could get from them.

If anything, that just confused her more. _Was she wrong? Was she not transgender? If she was, surely nothing could be more important to her than transitioning._

That being said, it wasn't as though she felt comfortable where she was. Every time she had even the slightest stubble, she wanted to hide from sight, she wanted to tear it all away. Every time she was called 'he', 'mister', 'sir', or worst of all, _'Warren'_ , she felt _wrong_. She felt sick, she felt gross and just wanted to fade into nonexistence.

It felt like she was falling down a bottomless pit every time she remembered that she really didn't know what she wanted to look like. Often, she would picture herself as Winter or Willow, but it always felt wrong. It was closer than her actual appearance, but the obvious problem was that that wasn't her, it was someone else.

How would she wear her hair if she could grow it out? She knew she longed for flowing locks that went on, as a polar opposite of her current hairstyle, but that's all she knew.

How would she wear her makeup? What fashion would she wear? What would even look good on her? _How would she sound if she had a choice?_

Her voice was, if anything, almost identical to Whitley's, just slightly lower in pitch. They both had the same inflections, the same mannerisms. She knew that it wasn't truly her voice, that it was wrong, that it didn't fit and that she felt _distorted and cursed_ , like something out of a fairy tale every time she spoke, but she felt as if she would never know what voice was hers.

Maybe she didn't have one.

Maybe she would forever be stuck with someone else's voice, someone else's hair, someone else's body.

It certainly felt that way.

She took a seat at her bus stop, dysphoric thoughts racing through her mind. The bus stop didn't have the conventional bench, instead there was a boulder roughly the size of a bench, which she usually sat on. It lacked the back support of a bench, but on the plus side, it didn't have dividers, so she could spread out as needed.

She didn't know if she wanted the bus to get here so that she could stop being left alone with her thoughts, or if she dreaded its arrival. It felt like just another situation she couldn't win.

* * *

Weiss resented the obnoxious atmosphere of the school bus. The first person she saw while getting on was Dex, the bus driver. Dex was a larger man, usually wearing an orange hoodie, his cupholder usually holding a soda. He always had a yellow and gold baseball cap, and a pair of aviators that were on his cap in the morning, but on his face in the afternoon.

Once Weiss turned to start walking down the aisle, she was met with a myriad of people, most being rather noisy.

“Alright,” Jaune Arc, a thin, tall boy with messy blonde hair said. “You get a million dollars, but, you can only ever play fourth edition ever again.”

“As nice as the money would be, I'd have to decline,” replied Lie Ren, an Asian boy of average height, with long black hair kept in a tight braid, with messy bangs and a small strip that was dyed pink.

“You're the most obnoxious person I've ever met,” Cinder Fall said from a different seat. She was one of the school's goths, her hair pulled to the side and her arms crossed in front of her in annoyance.

“Now, that's ironic,” began Tyrion Callows, from next to her.

“I'm so excited, it's been forever since I've seen her in concert!” Nora Valkyrie exclaimed, bouncing in her seat. Her ginger hair bounced with her, forcing her to stop and brush it out of her face. Next to her, Neon Katt grinned.

“You can thank my parents. They threw me an advance on my allowance to get these,” Neon said, handing a ticket over.

“And then I threw a banana at his face, which sounds gross, but it was awesome,” Sun Wukong laughed.

“Would you be more careful? If you got arrested I'd be down a boyfriend,” Neptune replied, rolling his eyes, before joining Sun's laughter.

“Nah, you signed up for this chaos,” Sun said.

“Hey, Warren!” Melanie Malachite called. Weiss suppressed a grimace as she sat down across from the Malachite twins.

“You won't believe what Henry told me last night,” Miltia said.

“Oh?” Weiss asked, feigning interest with all of the conviction she could muster. Next to her, Pyrrha Nikos, the school's basketball champion, folded her arms in front of her in disapproval of the gossip.

“Apparently vomit boy tried to make the football team,” Melanie said.

“Took a tackle from Cardin and almost broke his leg,” Miltia chuckled. “I'm surprised he wasn't squashed like a bug.”

“Really? Vomit boy thought he could make the team?” Weiss scoffed.

“Yeah, like anyone would wanna see him play after he ralphed during the museum field trip,” Miltia said.

“Well, if he ever does make the team, let me know so that I can bet on the other team,” Weiss said, unzipping her backpack.

“If he ever makes the team, we've hit a new level of desperation,” Melanie said. Weiss pulled out her binder, flipping through the pages.

“You really obsess over your homework,” Miltia said.

“Last year, I came up short of my goals,” Weiss said. “It won't happen again this year. I triple checked the work, I'm just making sure I have everything.”

“Oh, guess what else happened,” Melanie said. “Mr. Polendina's kid tried to make the cheerleading team.”

“What?” Weiss asked, her heart sinking at the topic change.

“You really don't keep informed, do you?” Pyrrha asked, speaking up after having sat in annoyance for several minutes.

“Excuse me?” Melanie asked.

“She didn't just try out, she made the team,” Pyrrha said. “As a matter of fact, she's a natural.”

“He,” Melanie said.

“No,” Miltia said. “At this point, I think _it_ is the only word that works.”

“If I remember right, you both tried and failed to make the team,” Pyrrha said.

“Yeah, well, it's the team's loss,” Miltia said.

“Penny is one of the most skilled acrobats on the team,” Pyrrha said. “And she certainly doesn't need people shooting down how far she's come.”

“And why do you care?” Weiss asked, turning to Pyrrha.

“Gossip is one thing, but don't you think you're a little old to be bullying?” Pyrrha asked.

“I'm not the one that decided to put on a skirt and do a bunch of flips in front of the school,” Weiss scoffed. “If he can make it in, they're really letting just about anyone in.”

Pyrrha scowled in response, but before she could respond, Melanie had already brought up a different topic to gossip about, and Weiss took advantage of the opportunity to drop the topic.

* * *

The busses usually arrived far before the school officially opened, so the students would get off the bus and go into the school, where the cafeteria was open, and wait about twenty minutes for the school to actually open. Weiss wished this meant she could get away from the Malachite twins, but she knew it meant the opposite. It meant that Henry Marigold would be joining the mix.

She just hoped that trans-related topics wouldn't come back up, she was already feeling bile in her throat for the way she spoke about Penny.

Henry Marigold was several inches taller than Weiss, and sported dark blue hair with an undercut. Like Miltia Malachite, he wore a lot of red and maroon, today it was a maroon polo with a grey jacket.

Weiss remembered May looking roughly similar to Henry back before they had moved away, all the way back in sixth grade, but she had hardly seen May since. They had actually been close friends back then, and she longed to leave her current 'friends' behind in favor of May.

Instead, the few times she had seen her, she didn't have a choice but to join Henry, Melanie, and Miltia in bullying her.

If she was honest, she was proud of her old friend for how far she had come. May had grown out her hair to a very significant length, braided behind her with bangs Weiss was jealous of, and wearing a cat eye that was to die for.

She also worried May saw through her. After all, the first day they saw each other again went... interestingly.

* * *

“ _Look who it is,” Henry chuckled, from the school's library._

“ _Oh, god, you weren't exaggerating. He really did it,” Melanie said._

“ _If my cousin was like that, I'd disown myself,” Miltia scoffed._

_Weiss, however, was speechless._

_A few feet away, May Marigold stood, her arms crossed. Her left eyebrow was raised, and Weiss didn't think she'd ever seen so much exasperation on one person all at once._

“ _Really?” May asked, with a sigh._

“ _Hey, you came over to us. Did you really think we'd just sit here and pretend you weren't a freak?” Henry asked. May covered it up incredibly well, but Weiss noticed a slight wince._

“ _I wanted a book you happened to be near,” May said. “You should fix Warren, something broke him.”_

“ _What?” Weiss asked, pulling herself together._

“ _It's rude to stare. You're still all about that two faced politeness, right?” May asked._

“ _I-” Weiss said, feeling panic rising in her throat. All she wanted was to side with May, to reunite with her old friend and confide her feelings to her. It took everything she had to focus on how Jacques would have reacted, and let that steer her back to Henry and the twins. “I just assumed Henry was exaggerating. You really did go off the deep end.”_

_Weiss immediately felt sick at her own words. Not a second passed before she resented herself with a passion she never knew she had._

“ _Really? It looked more like you have a crush,” May said. “Don't get your hopes up, I have standards.”_

_Henry burst out laughing._

“ _Really? You? Have standards?” Henry laughed. “Okay. Sure, man.”_

“ _What's-” a strong voice asked, as a very tall woman with warm umber skin and dark green hair joined May's side. “Oh.”_

“ _Oh, and who's this?” Henry mockingly asked._

“ _Someone that will kick in your teeth if you keep it up,” the woman said. She cracked her knuckles to prove her point, and Weiss noted that Henry went a bit more pale than usual at those words. May chuckled._

“ _Happy to introduce you to Joanna. She's more of a family than you'd ever hope to be,” May said._

“ _You seem very skilled, threatening people is such a respectable skill,” Melanie sneered._

“ _Better than insulting people,” Joanna said._

“ _They're not worth our time,” May said as she grabbed a copy of Robin Hood from the bookshelf. “Besides, I found it.”_

* * *

That had been one of the first instances where Weiss had ever been blatantly transphobic. It left a sour, vile taste in her mouth that she wished she could have never tasted again, but since that day it had showed up more and more frequently.

She actually caught a glimpse of May sitting with Joanna Greenleaf and two of her other friends, Robyn Hill and Fiona Thyme, as she sat down next to Henry.

“So guess who had a total liberal meltdown on the bus,” Melanie asked. Henry raised an eyebrow with interest.

“Was it Nora?” he asked. “She seems the type.”

“No, it was Pyrrha Nikos of all people,” Weiss said.

“Really? She didn't strike me as the type,” he said.

“So, you heard about Polendina's kid, right?” Miltia asked.

“That whole thing with the cheer team? Yeah, Deery mentioned something about it on the way in,” Henry said. Weiss formed a fist under the table, hoping the conversation went quick.

“Well, we were telling Warren about it and Pyrrha went all SJW,” Miltia said. “Insisted we call it 'she' and everything.”

“Gross,” Henry said. “I can't believe they're even allowed in here.”

“Right?” Melanie asked. “They belong in a mental institution.”

Weiss cursed herself when they turned to her, and she knew it was her turn to contribute something, or end up suspicious.

“At least I'm not related to one,” Weiss said. “That must be a nightmare.”

She felt her fist getting tighter, her fingernails digging into her palm. It wasn't even out of anger, it was self punishment. She loathed how easily the transphobia just spilled out, and how with each time she did it she felt more and more irredeemable.

“Anyway, at least they had enough standards to keep vomit boy out,” Miltia said, pulling Weiss back into the conversation. “Can you imagine if he made it onto the team?”

“It wouldn't surprise me,” Henry sighed. “This is why we stick to academics. Grades don't pander.”

“At least, not yet,” Melanie said. “Imagine what school will be like in twenty years.”

“God,” Henry said. “I hope something changes.”

Weiss couldn't have been more grateful several minutes later when the doors opened and she had an excuse to go somewhere they weren't at.

* * *

“Now!” Mr. Port said, gazing over his incredibly bored class. “Who can describe to me exactly how sedimentary rocks form?”

Weiss raised her hand, but before she could give a reply, the classroom's door opened.

Everyone turned to see who had opened it, and all eyes came to rest on a student in a black Paramore t-shirt and ripped dark jeans. She had a bronze palette and long, jet black hair.

“You must be Blake,” Port said, and she gave a shy nod. “Welcome to Taylor High School, your seat is right there.”

He pointed over to an empty seat, next to Weiss. Blake hurried over to the spot, anxiously drumming her fingers on a paperback copy of _Divergent_.

“Mr. Port?” Weiss asked. “I have the answer to your question.”

“Very well,” Port said.

“Sedimentary rocks are the biproduct of repeated erosion of other rocks, which are moved by weather, usually wind, ice, or rivers, until they go through lithification, the process of sediments being compacted and cemented together. Sedimentary rocks are unique in that they usually contain the leftovers of igneous and metamorphic,” Weiss said.

“I couldn't have said it better myself,” Port said. “If everyone will partner up, today's lab will be simulating the process of sedimentary rock formation.”

Blake looked over, shyly.

“Did you say you were new here?” Weiss asked.

“Uh, yeah,” Blake said, scratching the back of her head. “I'm assuming you're my lab partner?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “I'm Warren.”

“Blake,” Blake said, awkwardly.

“Where are you transferring from?” Weiss asked absentmindedly as she gathered the supplies for the lab.

“Well, I already knew a few people here, but I was homeschooled,” Blake said. Weiss raised an eyebrow.

“I see,” Weiss said. “So, you've never been to school before?”

“I went to elementary for a few years,” Blake said. “But my parents preferred to teach me at home for a while.”

Weiss grabbed the paper and set it in front of them.

“We'll both need to sign at the top,” she said, writing her deadname before turning to set up the lab.

“You're Warren Schnee,” Blake said, staring at the paper. She hesitantly signed on the second line, while Weiss turned to face her.

“Yes, I am,” Weiss said, confused.

“As in, the Schnee Auto Company,” Blake said. Weiss couldn't help but note the less-than-impressed tone of Blake's voice.

“Yes, and?” Weiss asked, waiting for Blake to make her point.

“I... just didn't realize,” Blake said, writing the date on the paper. Her shy demeanor seemed to have instantly been replaced for a hostile one.

“Is that a problem?” Weiss asked.

“I can't say I agree with what you or your family stand for,” Blake sighed. “Let's just get this over with.”

In her head, Weiss was impressed. After all, she didn't like what her family stood for either, not that she had a say in it. But Blake hadn't wasted a single second standing firm for what was right. Weiss respected that, and instantly wished she was on the other side.

Of course, that was in her head. Outside, she had a mask she had to keep on, so-

“Right,” Weiss sighed. “I'm sure you're incredibly well educated on the topic... oh, wait.”

Blake folded her arms defensively as Weiss finished setting up the lab. Weiss had no difficulty selling the anger, after all, she was angry, just not at Blake. If anything, she was angry that she couldn't verbally agree with her.

“What's a Schnee doing here, anyway?” Blake asked. “I figured you wouldn't be caught going to the same school as a _peasant_ like me.”

“Seeing as the nearest boarding school is about three hundred miles away, I was left without a choice. If it's any consolation, I've been regretting it for a few minutes,” Weiss said.

The class didn't improve from that point on, and by the time it ended, Weiss already felt exhausted with the persona she was forced to present with. She hoped the rest of the day would go by quicker.


	3. From Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Blake is introduced to the story, we see moments from her past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for homophobia, gaslighting and domestic abuse, homelessness, and focus on police brutality and a protest that goes wrong.

“Employee rights over Schnee profit!” the crowd cheered in repetition, in a sea of signs being thrust into the air. Blake felt her voice becoming hoarse as she joined in with the chorus, wishing she was taller so that her sign was more visible.

Just past the front of the crowd was the main Schnee Auto Company office, which served as the headquarters of the entire company. The tallest building in Boise, standing twenty-five floors tall, it was visible from any elevated view of the city. The entire building had a steel look, with marble details around the entrances.

And at the top of the building, a massive Schnee Logo stood, a white snowflake with the letters S. A. C. displayed in front.

The protest across the street contained hundreds of protesters, blocking off the streets and spilling onto a nearby parkway.

Many had wondered what a fourteen year old was doing at a rally, but Blake wasted no time making it clear that it wasn't her first rally and it wouldn't be her last.

Next to her stood Kali Belladonna, the reason Blake was there protesting. Kali had been fired six months prior from one of the Schnee Auto Company Stores. The official reason had been inadequate performance, but everyone that worked there knew the actual reason.

Kali Belladonna had mentioned within earshot of her manager that she was bisexual, and in a right to work state, it took no time for her to be cut loose from the company.

Blake was angry for her mother, but more than that, she was angry because it was evident that this was a regular occurrence.

She had ran into people that had worked in the Schnee factories, which had dangerously common OSHA violations. She had spoken with people who were injured on the job and swiftly terminated from the company. She had seen pictures reporters had snuck from the conditions of the overseas factories the company got their parts from, of the inhumane, cruel conditions their employees were kept in.

The company was the definition of immoral business, and Jacques Schnee didn't ever seem bothered by it. Blake had known that there were violent and awful people in the world, but living in the same city as someone willing to commit such heartless acts just for profit made her feel sick to her stomach. She remembered her family spiraling financially, and they were the lucky ones.

Next to Blake, a much taller boy held a sign of his own. He had about eight inches of height over Blake, and wore a dark hoodie with maroon strings. His hair was a crimson shade, and gelled straight back. Thin glasses rested on his face, as he shouted in unison with the crowd. His skin was a very pale tone, not too different from that of Jacques Schnee himself.

The sign he held read 'Houses over Auto Malls' in large red letters.

Across the street, right at the border of the protest zone, a white sports car came to a stop, the mustache-bearing CEO rolled his eyes, and a few police officers stepped over to his vehicle.

“What is all of this nonsense?” he snapped.

“It seems like you've attracted some attention,” the officer said, through his window.

“The police department really has been doing decently, financially,” Jacques said. “I can see to it that the department is in a better position, one that would benefit it greatly. Or, I can always do the opposite.”

“I'm all ears,” the officer said, waiting for Jacques to continue.

“I have work to get to. Ensure that I'm not held up any longer,” Jacques said. The officer nodded.

“Always happy to talk to an old friend,” he said, before stepping away and speaking into his radio.

From back in the crowd, the boy was just tall enough to see what had happened.

“There he is!” he shouted, for the nearby members of the crowd to hear.

“What's he doing?” Blake asked, on the verge of shouting herself.

“He just talked to a few cops,” the boy said.

Blake obviously didn't have the needed height to watch, but the boy did. He kept an eye on Jacques Schnee's convertible, which was now being pelted with food from the protesters closer to the vehicle.

Blake wasn't able to pick up on anything until a few minutes later. The first thing she heard was sirens, which wasn't anything too new, the first police had also been blaring sirens.

But the _screams_ concerned her.

“What's going on?” she called, as people began to attempt to scatter, shoving into one another.

Over the deafening chaos of her surroundings, however, not even the boy heard her.

Within moments, Blake couldn't find her parents, or the boy, or anyone she recognized.

She couldn't see through the crowd, all she could feel was person after person shoving into her in desperation to get free.

She tried to run, to shove past people, but she was, after all, much smaller than most in the crowd.

And within a single moment, a single misstep, she found herself knocked to the ground.

Something hit her leg, hard.

Then her arm.

People were running past her, and it was all she could do to curl up and prevent anything important from getting kicked.

“Hey!” a voice called.

Blake felt a hand on her shoulder, as a tight grip yanked her up. Blake turned to face the one that had helped her, and caught a glimpse of a girl a few inches taller with a warm umber tone. Her hair was black, and spiky.

Then, she was gone. Knocked away by the crowd.

Blake scanned the ground, hoping she hadn't been trampled, and couldn't find her.

Then, she glimpsed it.

A small clearing, where the crowd had thinned.

She pushed her way towards it, looking to escape being knocked around.

Terror propelled her with a strength she didn't know she had, and she was able to make it to the clearing.

She saw the boy from before, having been knocked to the ground.

She ran to his side.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Just a shove.”

She helped him to his feet.

“We need to get out of here!” she said, once he was up. He looked around, craning his neck.

“That way!” he called back, pointing off, away from the Schnee building. They started jostling their way through, desperately clawing through.

“Blake!”

That voice... it was Kali's.

Blake turned back, seeing Kali making her way through.

“Wait!” Blake said to the boy, grabbing his arm. She tugged him back, and he turned to look where she was pointing.

She reached out a hand, right as a loud popping noise sounded out.

A canister arced through the air at a rapid speed, smoke steaming from it...

Blake knew instantly what it was. _Tear gas._

It soared right past her, and right as Kali's hand closed around hers, the boy's arm fell away from her grip.

* * *

“He'll be alright,” the nurse said, and Blake let out a sigh of relief. “He'll be blind in one eye, and we're not able to repair that damage. The trauma to the head was luckily minimal. He's got second degree burns around the eye, those will heal over time now that we've treated them.”

“Thank you,” Ghira said, next to Blake in the waiting room.

“You said you didn't know any family of his?” the nurse asked.

“No, we just saw him for the first time today,” Kali said.

“Then I'm unfortunately going to have to make you aware, visitation is just for family and close friends for a few days,” the nurse said.

“I understand,” Kali nodded. “Thank you.”

* * *

“Thanks for coming to see me,” the boy said, lying in the hospital bed. His eye was heavily bandaged, and like the entire Belladonna family, he was heavily bruised from being jostled around so much. About a day had passed, before he had given permission for them to visit, having woken up.

“Of course,” Blake said. “It's my fault you were hurt in the first place.”

“No, it isn't,” he said. “You didn't fire the canister, you didn't call the police. I'm sure now that's what Schnee was doing.”

“What were you doing there without your parents?” Ghira asked.

“Well, my dad's dead,” the boy said. “And my mom's still staying at the shelter over on fifth street.”

“Have you contacted her?” Kali asked.

“I'm not planning on it,” the boy said.

A moment of uncomfortable silence passed. Then, Blake spoke up in attempt to ease the tension.

“I'm Blake,” she said.

He looked up, meeting her eyes with his one.

“I'm Adam,” he said.

* * *

“So, yeah,” Ilia said. “That's my experience with the Schnees.”

“That's... awful,” Blake said, leaning in with sympathy.

“Not surprising,” Adam sighed, leaning back against the wall of the shed. “With how Jacques raised his kids, I can't see any of them growing up to be any better.”

“They need to be knocked down a peg,” said Walter F. Lacruz, Adam's best friend. Walter was almost as tall as Adam, with tanned skin and short black hair. He spoke with a slight Mexican accent, and mainly wore workout tank tops.

“I'm sorry, Ilia,” Blake said. “We're not going to abandon you like that, I promise.”

“I hope not,” Ilia said. “Don't take it personally, but it'll take some time for me to believe that myself.”

“Take all the time you need,” Blake smiled.

“It's been a nice talk,” Walter said, checking his phone. “But I need to get home.”

“I probably should, too,” Blake sighed. “I don't need to give my parents another reason to scold me.”

Adam rolled his eyes, stepping away from the wall as he took a swig from a bottle in his hand.

“Well, have fun with that,” Ilia said, standing up. “I'll be staying here for the night.”

“I could always try to see if my parents would let you stay over,” Blake said.

Adam let out a half scoff, half chuckle.

“Yeah, it worked so well last time,” he said.

“They're paranoid about boyfriends,” Blake said, unconsciously taking just the slightest step further from Adam. Neither he nor Blake noticed, nor did either of them see Ilia take note.

“Yeah, well, they need to get over themselves,” Adam said. “You're fifteen, you're old enough to make your own decisions.”

“I know that,” Blake said. “They just don't.”

“Alright. I'll drive you,” Adam said, fishing in his pockets for a set of keys.

“Later,” Ilia said, laying down on the beaten couch in the shack.

“Bye, Ilia,” Blake said.

Blake and Adam began walking back to Adam's car, a white beaten up smaller model with cheap maroon seats. Blake watched his steps, listened to his tone, checking for any slurred speech or stumbling. She took solace in the absence of both.

Something else bothered her, however.

Adam didn't like her talking about it, but...

“You seem... really unhappy with my parents,” Blake said, as they walked. Adam sighed.

“Are we really going to get into this now?” Adam asked.

“I...” Blake hesitated. “I just don't want to push them away, too.”

“They're pushing you away. They know how important our activism is, they're the ones that backed off of the protests,” Adam said. “But if it'd make you happier, I could always just bow down for the Schnee company and let them walk all over us again.”

“No,” Blake said, nervously. “That's not what I want.”

“Really? Because it sure seems like it,” Adam snapped.

“I'm sorry,” Blake said. “I didn't mean that. I know you're right about our protests. You put a lot of work into them, and I know you just want what's best for me.”

Adam sighed, looking down. He tossed the bottle into a nearby trashcan, letting the noise of glass shattering break the silence.

Again, neither of them consciously noticed, but Blake recoiled, ever so slightly.

“I just get worried you're losing faith in me,” he said.

“Never,” Blake said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I'm worried about my parents, but you're my boyfriend, Adam. I'll always support you.”

Adam smiled, looking back up.

“Thank you, Blake,” Adam said. “It means a lot to have you by my side.”

* * *

Blake's room absolutely reflected her goth-punk aesthetic, and its mashup with her nerdy bookworm side. Her walls were covered in Paramore posters, with a few other band posters here or there. Her bed had purple pillows and black sheets, a few stuffed animals sprawled around the surface. Upon first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking the black kitten curled up among them was also a stuffed animal, but she was very much real.

One wall of the room was completely covered in a bookshelf, mostly filled with YA fiction and fantasy series' that spanned from four to twelve books _apiece_. The bookshelf was made of wood, but painted a dark grey.

Next to the bed was a small desk, large enough to hold Blake's outdated computer, with a used gaming chair Blake was currently sitting in. Across the room was a purple banana chair, where Ilia sat. Blake's closet was clean but disorganized, holding the vast array of her fashion, ranging from a purple dress, to a small collection of band shirts, to a few assorted gothic tops, usually with netted sleeves, too many zippers, and mostly spanning rather dark colors, from purple to a deep crimson.

“So,” Ilia said, breaking the silence. She was leaning back in the banana chair, her hands resting behind her head. Currently, she was wearing a black tank top with a grey denim jacket, torn jeans, and a maroon beanie. “You said it was important, what's going on?”

Blake sighed, her arms folded defensively in front of her. She was looking at her feet, unable to meet Ilia's eyes. Blake sported a black sleeveless top and had purple arm warm warmer sleeves running up both arms, completing the look with black leggings.

“I...” Blake said, struggling over her words. “You've been my closest friend for a while now, and you helped me find the strength to get away from Adam.”

“Happy to, he was an asshole,” Ilia said.

“I trust you more than I trust my own parents,” Blake sighed, feeling guilt welling in her. “And I feel like I should trust them, they saw Adam for what he was, and I didn't, but-”

“Blake,” Ilia said, leaning forward, letting her arms rest on her knees. “You're a teenager. It's normal to have a hard time trusting your parents around now. Especially after how that bastard manipulated you. Your parents want what's best for you and you do know that, but that doesn't mean there's something wrong with you for having a hard time _believing_ it.”

Blake took a deep breath, letting her guard down a little at that. Her arms loosened a bit, and she looked up, seeing Ilia's determined expression.

“You mean that?” Blake asked.

“Of course. And I also know they don't judge you for it either,” Ilia said.

“That really helps,” Blake said. “See, this. This is why I trust you so much, you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for. And that's why you're the only one I feel comfortable saying what I'm about to say to.”

Ilia nodded, leaning back again.

“Ilia,” Blake said, trying to force the words out. Unfortunately, it was like they caught in her throat, like she just _couldn't_ get them to actually leave her mouth. “I don't know why this is so hard. I'm surrounded by amazing, accepting people, and I know there's nothing wrong with me, but...”

She stopped, and rubbed her forehead in frustration.

“Opening up about something you keep quiet is usually hard,” Ilia said. “It's a defense mechanism we all pick up from a young age.”

Blake nodded, considering her words.

“Ilia?” Blake tried again. “I'm bisexual.”

Ilia smiled, leaning forward once more.

“If I'm being honest, I'm not too surprised,” Ilia said.

“Really?” Blake asked, stunned.

“I have a tendency to spot little things most people don't,” Ilia said. “Oh, and also, you own a lot of lesbian romance.”

“I don't own that much,” Blake said.

“Given how hard it is to find good lesbian romance, yeah, you do,” Ilia smiled. “Hey. I'm really proud of you for coming out to me, and I want you to know this doesn't change anything between us. I'm not going anywhere.”

Blake smiled, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Damn it,” Blake said. “I spent like an hour on my eyeliner this morning.”

“Really?” Ilia asked. “You? Miss 'I can do all my goth makeup in like five minutes' spent an hour on eyeliner.”

“I was really nervous, okay?” Blake said, grabbing a makeup wipe from her kit under her desk.

She began wiping away her eye makeup, reluctantly, so that she could start again.


	4. Friends and Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake tries to recover her first day of school from the harm Weiss had done, but is she in too far of a tailspin to regain a positive outlook?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So TW this chapter for bullying and for mentions of homophobia and transphobia

Blake couldn't help but scowl at Warren as second period Geology came to a close. She had spent the entire first period in the offices, while her parents finalized the paperwork with the teachers.

If it had been up to her, she would've stayed at home, and continued her homeschooling, but her parents had been worried about her social skills.

Fortunately, they were at the very least, willing to send her to the school Ilia went to.

And as Ilia crossed Blake's mind, she took a deep breath, and decided to seek her out as the fifteen minute break period between second and third began.

If there was _anyone_ who could fix this train wreck of a morning, it was her.

Ilia had continued to be Blake's closest friend since the day she came out, despite their interesting relationship. About nine months later, Ilia had told Blake she was in love with her, and they had dated for three months.

And it was amazing when it was good. Ilia and Blake were a power couple, helping each other through almost every struggle.

 _Almost_ every struggle.

Unfortunately, there was one thing that they couldn't help each other with, and that was... well, dealing with one another. Ilia and Blake had both been through their fair share of abuse, and that came with both toxic behavior and triggers. So when Ilia would get passive aggressive during arguments, it set off all of Blake's defense mechanisms and she would seclude herself. And when Blake would be direct, but without a filter, Ilia's abandonment issues went into overdrive and she would self destruct.

After three months, they sat down and came to the decision that until they were in a better place mentally, they were better off as friends.

Blake had been terrified she would lose Ilia in the process, and it was obvious that Ilia was even more afraid of the same possibility.

So Blake was incredibly grateful that didn't happen. In all the time since then, they remained incredibly close friends, with the only downside being that Blake's heart twinged every time she thought back to what they used to have.

As she walked, Blake thought back to when Ilia would talk about the school. She mentioned several times she spent all of her free time in the library, towards the back, where no one ever went, so no one would bother her.

And sure enough, she found the tomboy sitting at one of the study tables, flipping absentmindedly through a comic book.

“Hey,” Blake said, sitting down awkwardly.

Ilia looked up, and immediately her face fell.

“Okay, what's wrong?” Ilia asked. “I knew this would be a rough transition, but you look pissed.”

“Ugh,” Blake sighed. “So my first class was Geology.”

“Mr. Port's class, right?” Ilia asked.

“Yeah,” Blake said.

“Ugh, I hated that class. Thank god I'm a senior, you'll like Ms. Khan's science classes a lot more,” Ilia said.

“Oh, that's not what I hated,” Blake said. “My lab partner is _Warren Schnee_ of all people.”

Ilia's eyes widened in surprise.

“Bullshit,” Ilia said.

“And he's just as bad as I thought,” Blake said.

“I'm sorry,” Ilia said. “God, that whole family is just garbage.”

“He spent half the class making snide remarks about me being homeschooled,” Blake said.

“You know, if you need, I really am willing to punch his teeth in,” Ilia said. “Just say the word.”

“I don't think that's necessary,” Blake chuckled. “But thank you. I already feel a little better.”

“So, that's been your experience so far?” Ilia asked.

“Yup. The only person I've talked to for more than a second or two,” Blake said.

“Alright, I'll give you some pointers, come on,” Ilia said, standing. Blake stood after her, nervously.

Ilia led her across the library. In the middle of the room, a few lounge couches rested, and on them sat four people. The first was a woman with slightly tanned skin, wearing a black beret over her wavy brown hair, and a pair of dark aviator sunglasses. Her fashion taste was exquisite, and she had several accessories which would have been too much on anyone else but somehow, she pulled them off perfectly. Immediately Blake was left with the thought that this woman was one of the prettiest people in the whole school.

Sitting next to her was a woman with long brown hair, wearing far more plain clothes, primarily a brown jacket and khaki pants. Her eyes were a dark brown, and when she spoke to the woman next to her, she did so with a soft Australian accent. In her hands rested a tablet, and Blake could see an article on photography pulled up on it.

Next was a man with an umber brown complexion, dressed much more sharply than most in the school ever would. He donned a black fedora and rectangular glasses, his right ear pierced. He had a very classy black vest with a white shirt underneath, tucked into a pair of dress pants that matched his vest. The look was brought together with silver dress shoes. He had an earbud in his left ear, the right earbud hanging loose at his side.

The final member of the group was an energetic girl wearing a sky blue one shoulder top with a cartoonish cat design on the front, a pink pleated skirt that cut off right above the knees, white boots with a slight heel to them, a blue and pink choker, and an overwhelming collection of accessories on the arms including fingerless gloves that stretched up to her elbows, with a rainbow of colors on them, and several bangles and bracelets that made a slight jingle every time her arms moved. She had press on fingernails, on the right hand her thumb and pinky fingernails were light blue, her index and ring fingernails were a bright pink, and the middle fingernail was white. Blake recognized this as the trans flag. On the left hand, her thumbnail was red, the index was orange, the middle was green, the ring was blue, and her pinky was purple, in a rainbow fashion. Her hair was a ginger tone, pulled in to large, bushy pigtails. Her bangs were cropped right above her eyes, with a blue highlight dyed in.

“How's it going, Ilia?” the man in the fedora asked, looking up.

“Not bad,” Ilia said. “I was hoping you all could help my friend feel at home, she's having a rough first day.”

“Of course,” the woman in the beret said. “I'm Coco.”

She held out her hand, and Blake awkwardly shook it.

“I'm Blake,” she replied.

“I'm Velvet,” the Australian woman at Coco's side said.

“I'm Flynt,” the man in the fedora said.

“And I'm Neon,” the woman with pigtails said. Blake nervously shook hands with each of the four of them.

“I think you'll get along well,” Ilia said, sitting on an empty couch next to the occupied one and waving Blake over to sit with her. “All of us have something in common.”

“Oh?” Blake asked.

“Not a single one of us is straight,” Neon said.

“Velvet's my girlfriend,” Coco explained. “I'm a lesbian, Velvet's pansexual.”

“I'm gay,” Flynt added.

“And I'm also pan,” Neon said. “Also, if it wasn't obvious, I'm a transgirl.”

“I'm also demisexual,” Velvet added in.

Blake immediately felt as though the pressure of the previous class had dissolved away.

“That's actually really reassuring,” Blake said, letting herself drop her guard a little. “I was worried it'd mostly be a bunch of straight cis people here.”

Neon burst out laughing.

“Oh, no way,” she said. “We're far from the only queer people here.”

“Then I'll add that I'm bi,” Blake said.

“It's real nice to meet you,” Flynt said, giving a slight nod at the end of his sentence. “Where did you go before here?”

“I, uh,” Blake sighed, looking down. “I've been homeschooled since I was really young, I was in elementary for a few years, though.”

“I was homeschooled for a year,” Velvet said, leaning in. “Don't worry, you're not the only one.”

Blake once again felt her tension dissolve a bit, and she felt the comfort of belonging sink in.

“Now, as far as pointers go,” Ilia said. She pointed over to a study table across the library. “I'm sure you recognize Warren.”

Blake looked to the table she was pointing to, seeing four students seated there. The first was Warren, who was writing relentlessly.

“But I'd recommend you avoid everyone at that table,” Ilia said.

“Melanie and Miltia are awful,” Velvet confirmed.

“They make fun of Velv's accent every time they hear her talk,” Coco sighed. “They're stuck up and ruthless.”

“And don't even get me started on Henry,” Flynt added.

“Oh, if you wanna hear about Henry, I'm happy to fill you in,” a voice said from Blake's other side. She looked over to see, at the closest table, four women sat, playing a board game.

She actually recognized one of them as the woman who saved her at the rally, years ago.

The speaker, however, matched Henry's hair color, though her hair was much longer and in a braid.

“I'm May, Henry's cousin,” she said, standing to join the conversation.

“I take it Henry's also a bully,” Blake said, glancing back to the table Henry sat at.

“Yup,” May said. “Don't worry though, his family skills are where he really shines.”

Behind May, Robyn Hill sighed, her eyes on May as she spoke. Blake recognized that look, it was the same look she gave Ilia when Ilia was going through a lot.

“I still can't believe the way he talks to you,” Flynt said. “Henry's an ass, but I would've hoped that he'd be better when it came to family.”

May chuckled, as she sat on a chair next to the couch.

“If anything, he's harsher when it's family,” she said. She turned to Blake. “Welcome to Taylor High. Stick with all of us and you'll do great.”

“Thank you,” Blake smiled, shaking May's hand. “I've actually met her before.”

She pointed to Joanna, who waved in response.

“I never got the chance to thank you,” Blake said. Joanna raised an eyebrow.

“Thank me?” Joanna asked.

“A few years ago, you saved me at the rally, in front of the Schnee Auto Headquarters,” Blake said. Joanna cocked her head to the side, thinking. Then, after a moment, she nodded in recognition.

“Don't mention it,” Joanna said, waving in an 'it was nothing' motion.

Before much else could be said, the bell rang, and it was time for classes to resume. Blake sighed, hoping her next class would be free of Warren Schnee and his friends.

* * *

Blake was fortunate in that her next class wasn't one she shared with Warren. Her third period class was P. E., and on the way to the gym, she saw Warren enter the biology classroom.

She entered the gym, unsure about exactly where to go, not having attended a P. E. class since square dancing was part of the curriculum. What eased her tensions, however, was when a familiar voice from behind her came to her aid.

“Oh, hey,” Coco said. “You look lost.”

“I haven't been in a gym in a long time,” Blake admitted, turning to face her.

“Well, I'll show you around. For now, we're supposed to wait on the bleachers on that side of the gym,” Coco said, pointing to where several of the girls from her classes were sitting. Blake recognized Robyn from break, as one of them. Across the gym sat several of the boys, including Henry Marigold, much to Blake's disappointment.

“Thanks,” Blake said, walking to the bleachers. “How do you not get lost trying to move around out there?”

“Oh, every school is a maze for the first week or two. Don't worry, it'll get easier,” Coco smiled. “What's your next class?”

“Uh,” Blake said, taking out her schedule. “Mr. Lionheart's English class,” Blake said. Coco nodded, then stepped in front of the bleachers.

“Hey, does anyone have Lionheart next period?” Coco asked, looking around the stands.

“I do,” Robyn called out, throwing a hand into the air.

“When class ends, just stick with Robyn,” Coco nodded.

“Thank you,” Blake said, letting out a sigh of relief.

“No problem,” Coco said. “It's pretty jarring being new.”

As they sat down, a tall woman with a beige skintone and blonde hair in a bun, with curly bangs wearing a bright tracksuit stepped out of the office, followed by an even taller man in a darker tracksuit with a red trim, short dark hair, and a tan complexion.

“That's Coach Goodwitch and Coach Theodore,” Coco explained. “Goodwitch is a bit strict but she shuts down bullying pretty quickly. Theodore, well-”

“Who's excited to shoot some hoops?” Theodore called, as he cheerfully power walked to the boys' side of the gym.

“You know it, coach!” called a voice from the bleachers, coming from a boy with messy blonde hair and a tan palette.

“Sun knows what I'm talking about!” Theodore replied, a wide grin on his face. “Let's not waste time, then, let's get attendance out of the way so that we can get started!”

Coach Glynda Goodwitch rolled her eyes, and looked down to her clipboard.

“Adel, Coco,” Glynda called, prompting an immediate response from Coco.

“Here.”

“Atlan, Arlsan,” Glynda continued, getting the same response from Arslan, who sat a few spots away. “Belladonna, Blake.”

“Here,” Blake said nervously, as everyone turned to face the new student. She shrank down in an attempt to be less visible, to very little avail. Glynda continued down her list, and eventually the attention shifted off of Blake, much to her gratitude.

“Violette, Nebula,” Glynda said after several moments.

“Here,” Nebula responded.

“Alright,” Glynda said. “Once everyone has changed, we will be going to the gym upstairs for badminton.”

Blake's head spun as Glynda gestured towards the locker room, and the students began to stand.

“Uh, Coco?” Blake asked, as she hurried up to the group of students.

“Yeah?” Coco asked, glancing back.

“I'm not really familiar with sports too much, how strict is Coach Goodwitch?” Blake said, nervously.

“Oh, don't worry, badminton isn't high stress,” Coco said. “Mostly people just screw around for a half hour until it's time to go change again.”

“Right,” Blake said. “Um... what's badminton?”

“What's badminton?” a voice from behind her asked, a slight mocking tone present in her voice. Blake turned to see a woman with long, orange hair and a sienna tone. “What, were you born under a rock?”

“No,” another voice said, this voice a bit deeper than the first. Blake recognized this speaker as Cinder, who had also been in her second period Geology class. “She was homeschooled. She was bickering with Schnee all morning.”

“Oh, you were homeschooled?” the first woman snickered. “What, did you grow up on a farm or something?”

“Fuck off, Carmine,” Arslan said, having slowed to join the conversation.

“Whatever,” Cinder said. “If she's never been in school, it'll be hilarious to watch her try to play.”

Blake sighed, as she entered the locker room.

“Don't you have anything better to do than attack me over this?” Blake said, unfolding the small paper with her locker combination scrawled on it.

“Not really, no,” Carmine smirked.

“Then find something,” Robyn snapped from her locker. “This is pathetic.”

Coco nodded in agreement, while Blake nervously examined her gym uniform. Everyone else had already started changing, but Blake had never changed in front of anyone else before, and she felt incredibly uncomfortable at the idea of doing so now.

“Did they not teach you how clothes work?” Nebula smirked. “It's really simple. You take off what you're wearing, and put on the new clothes.”

“There's a few stalls, over that way,” Robyn said, pointing across the room, before shooting a glare to Nebula.

“Thank you,” Blake said, hurrying across the room, not wanting to be the center of their focus any longer.

* * *

Blake had to endure Nebula even more, as they shared fourth period English together, and while she had some time to get away during break, as soon as sixth period started, somehow she was right back with Nebula in Biology. As luck would have it, she didn't get a class without Nebula until eighth period math, where she ended up back with Warren.

After hearing Mr. Ironwood go on and on about dividing exponential values for almost an hour, she was ready to return home, and stop being surrounded by people.

That, unfortunately, wasn't so straightforward.

She got on the bus to return, and watched in dismay as Warren got on after her.

“Oh, wonderful,” Warren sighed. “And here I'd been hoping at least you wouldn't contribute to my end of the day headache.”

“I'm so sorry for the inconvenience,” Blake snapped, taking a seat. Warren rolled his eyes and kept walking, sitting over by the Malachite twins. Blake could already make out several remarks being made specifically about her.

She rested her forehead on her hands, exhausted with the day's events. She was used to learning in quiet, in peace, and this was the exact opposite.

“Rough first day?” a voice said, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She looked up to see Sun, right across the aisle. He was sitting next to Neptune, who she had met during seventh period Spanish class.

“You could say that,” Blake said, rubbing the side of her head.

“Yeah, this school sucks,” Sun said. “But there's a lot of cool people here, too, if you look.”

“Listen, Nebula's been awful for years,” Neptune added. “She'll forget about you within a few days.”

“Thanks,” Blake said.

“You're Ilia's ex, right?” Sun asked, startling Blake with how forward he was in asking.

“Yes, I am, we are still on good terms,” Blake clarified.

“You're just full of social grace,” Neptune said, clapping his hand onto Sun's shoulder.

“What? I was curious,” Sun said.

“It's fine,” Blake said. “Forgive me for asking, but why did you want to know?”

“That's Sun's way of trying to get to know you,” Neptune laughed. “He's still improving it.”

“Thanks, I guess,” Blake said. “How do you know Ilia?”

“Pride club,” Sun said. “I remembered her gushing a lot about a 'Blake' and figured that was you.”

“There's a pride club?” Blake asked.

“Yeah, it's pretty new, but it's nice,” Sun said.

“So, you're-” Blake began, but Neptune interrupted before she could say more.

“A power couple, and I refuse to hear otherwise,” Neptune said, taking Sun's hand.

“We're both bi,” Sun clarified.

“So am I,” Blake said, scooting over, closer to where they sat. “It's nice to know I'm not the only one.”

“And that is exactly why we have pride club. During lunch every Tuesday and Friday, if you're interested,” Neptune said. “In Mr. Qrow's theater room.”

“I'll definitely come by tomorrow,” Blake said. “I can't wait.”

“So, Warren giving you trouble?” Sun asked.

“Yeah,” Blake sighed. “He had an issue with me saying I didn't like his family or their company.”

“Oh, yeah, that'll do it,” Sun said. “If it's any consolation, you're not missing out on much. That guy's an asshole.”

“Oh yeah,” Neptune said. “His whole clique is full of elitist pricks. They think what they do could never be considered bullying because they're nerds, so the way they see it, they could only ever be the victims of bullying.”

“Henry Marigold's got total nice guy neckbeard vibes,” Sun added.

“That doesn't really surprise me,” Blake said. “Warren's his father's son, and his father is disgusting.”

“Just don't listen to him, and eventually he'll back off for a while,” Neptune said.

“I'd also steer clear of Cardin and his friends,” Sun added. “Just while we're at it.”

“Good to know,” Blake said. “Thanks, this is helping.”

As she finished her sentence, however, the bus came to her stop, and she stood.

She had hardly said goodbye, before-

“You can't be serious,” Warren said from behind her. She turned to see him, staring in befuddlement, at the coincidence. Blake rolled her eyes and stepped off the bus, Warren a few feet behind.

“I'm no happier about it than you are,” Blake said.

“Terrific,” Warren snapped. “Are you planning on taking the bus in the mornings?”

“No, I was actually going to take my limo to school,” Blake retorted. “If it's that much of an issue, I'm sure you have other options.”

“No, listen,” Warren hissed. “I need my peace and quiet in the mornings, so if you insist on using this stop-”

“ _Insist on using_?” Blake said, incredulously. “I don't have any other regular way there, you on the other hand could probably afford to have a helipad built at the school just for you.”

“Believe it or not, there are better uses for the family's finances,” Warren replied, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, like paying your employees livable wages and keeping them employed,” Blake snapped. “But you're not using it for that either.”

“And what would you know about finance?” Warren scoffed. “You can't even afford jeans that aren't torn.”

“Ignoring how low of a blow that was, it's a fashion choice,” Blake said. “Like you'd know anything about it.”

Warren went silent, huffing in place, before he finally spoke again.

“Just keep quiet in the mornings, okay?” he snapped, and then turned around and stormed off. Blake folded her arms, annoyed.

“Wonderful,” Blake sighed. “Welcome to Taylor High.”

* * *

Blake didn't say much during the next morning at the bus stop, not because Warren preferred it that way, but because she wasn't exactly in the mood to talk to him.

He still seemed plenty annoyed, however, when he showed up a few minutes after she did, and the next twenty minutes were spent in an uncomfortable silence.

What drove them both into even further frustration, however, was when Blake showed up in first period social studies, only to see a familiar wealthy heir sitting directly in front of where she was supposed to.

“You can't be serious,” Blake said, sitting down. “This has to be a joke.”

As soon as she spoke, Warren turned, eyes wide in absolute refusal to believe the circumstance.

Warren sighed, pinching the top of his nose as he took a deep breath.

“Alright, let's just agree to leave each other alone for now,” he sighed. “I don't have the energy for this.”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Blake said, rolling her eyes. “I was just overflowing with energy yesterday in geology.”

“You were the one that made a big deal out of all of this in the first place,” Warren retorted.

“I really wish I'd brought popcorn,” Nebula's voice said from across the room. “Let's place bets, who is going to quit school first, rich boy or farm girl?”

“Would you just shut up?” Mercury sighed from behind her. “You're all obnoxious.”

“That's quite enough,” Mr. Oobleck said, stepping into the classroom. “I'm sure you're all eager to learn more about George Washington, which we will be doing today, so if I can get through attendance we can get right into it.”

Blake had never heard anyone speak so quickly, it was almost impossible just to keep up with his words. He went through role call, which went fluid and quickly until he got to-

“Ruby Rose?” he asked, only to be met with silence. Exasperated, he looked around the room. “Has anyone seen Ruby?”

After several seconds of silence, he let out a deep sigh, before launching back into speaking a the speed of a rocket.

“Very well, we will continue on without her for now,” he said, and launched back into attendance, making it as far as 'Russel Thrush' before he was interrupted once more.

The door to the classroom flew open with the force of a train, and a short girl with messy black hair and red tips stumbled in. She wore a red hoodie and plain jeans, not that Blake got a good look as she faceplanted on the ground, right past the door.

She then leapt to her feet, unfazed by her fall.

“SORRY I'M LATE!” she said, before rushing to her desk. “Someone turned off my alarm clock, I think, so I was late, uh, right! The door!”

She hopped back up, running to the door in an attempt to gently close it.

She accidentally slammed it instead, jumping at the noise, then turning around awkwardly. She blushed, looking at the floor as she hurried back to her seat, right in between Warren and Nora.

“Sorry,” she said, scratching the back of her head.

“Ruby,” Oobleck sighed, folding his arms. “You have been tardy three days this year. This wouldn't be as concerning if it wasn't the second week of school.”

“I know, I'm sorry, I really need a new alarm clock,” Ruby said, letting out an awkward laugh. “It won't happen again this week, I promise.”

Oobleck took a deep breath, and picked up a coffee thermos, taking a long swig before lowering it again.

“Please ensure that you keep that promise,” he said. “I would ask that you not be tardy at all this month, but I think that'd be rather far fetched.”

Ruby chuckled along, still nervously blushing due to the entire class' attention being fixed on her.

“Can we get on with class?” Mercury sighed.

“Yes, I believe I was checking for Russel Thrush?” Oobleck said, letting the class slowly recover from Ruby's intrusion.

  
  



	5. All Our Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang has a discussion with her father, and it is brought to her attention that she doesn't understand as much about her past as she thought. Ruby works relentlessly to meet a personal goal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for discussions related to death, abandonment, and neglect

The Xiao Long residence was in a rather quiet neighborhood, that had a very welcoming atmosphere. Being a three bedroom house, it was decently large, and one Taiyang Xiao Long had only been able to afford due to taking out a sizeable loan a little over a decade ago, which was nowhere near paid off. The front lawn was well trimmed, with a small collection of garden gnomes organized throughout. The garage had a dark blue SUV parked inside, which was Tai's beloved chariot.

The inside of the house got a little messy at times, but overall was on the tidier side. Despite the house having a dining room, the only place to eat in the house was in the living room, where a mahogany coffee table and a set of foldable TV trays sat. The couches were worn and had a few soda stains, but still very useable.

This house was of course not complete without the residents, one of which was Yang Xiao Long, a blonde girl sitting on said couch with flowing, and slightly tangled, locks.

“Alright, so a huge list of video games,” she said. “Legos, especially the Star Wars fighter ship ones, and then nerf guns.”

“Don't forget she wanted a skateboard,” Taiyang said, taking a seat next to her and opening a can of orange soda. Taiyang Xiao Long was a tall man with tan skin and messy blonde hair. He had stubble that was only shaven about once every other week, and he tended to wear button up plaid shirts.

“Obviously,” Yang said. “I already got one picked out.”

“You two are growing up way too fast,” Taiyang said. “Ruby's about to turn nine, and you're almost in junior high. You know here soon you're gonna have to stop growing up before you give me a heart attack, right?”

“I don't plan on it,” Yang laughed. “Soon I'll be able to start learning to drive.”

“Not for a few more years,” Taiyang said.

“Oh, come on,” Yang said. “You know I'm mature for my age, I can handle driving.”

“You're responsible for your age,” Taiyang said. “Which is admirable. But you're not driving a car yet.”

“Ugh,” Yang rolled her eyes. “When did you learn how to drive?”

“When I was fifteen,” Taiyang said.

“You want me to wait four more years?” Yang scoffed.

“I'm lenient. If you're keeping your grades up, and you stay responsible, then I may consider three,” Taiyang said.

“Harriet said her parents are gonna teach her the basics next year,” Yang said.

“Well, maybe Harriet's parents are comfortable with their car getting scraped up, but I'm not,” Taiyang joked. Yang sighed.

“Well, I had to try,” she pouted. “Are you gonna be one of those obnoxious dads that doesn't let me around boys until I'm like seventeen?”

“Seventeen? No,” Taiyang laughed. “I know for a fact that if I tried to put that kind of limit on you, you'd just end up going after unsafe situations. You can date when you're twelve, but it doesn't go anywhere more than just going to restaurants or walks in the park until you're fifteen. And once you are going further, you need to promise me you'll be safe about it.”

“Gross, I regret asking,” Yang said.

“I'm just saying, I was a teenager once, believe it or not,” he said.

“You? Nah, you're so old that when you were my age, the word 'teenager' hadn't been invented yet,” Yang said.

“Okay, ouch,” he said. “But my point stands. You can't stop a teenager from doing anything. So I'm not going to try to, I'm just gonna say you have to be smart and safe about it.”

“Okay, I will,” Yang said. “Besides, if it helps, I'm not gonna be just leaping into the arms of the first boy I see.”

“Really? And I thought you were obsessed with romance,” Taiyang said.

“Boring,” Yang said. “On that note, I think I'm pan.”

“Oh?” Taiyang said.

“Yeah, I've been thinking about it, and honestly sex and gender just doesn't matter much to me,” Yang said.

“Well, let me clarify,” Taiyang said. “All the rules I said before don't just apply to boys.”

“I figured. I'm not pan for a loophole,” Yang said.

“I never said that,” Taiyang said. “Hey, for Ruby's cake, I'm thinking chocolate with strawberry ice cream on the side.”

“That'll be perfect,” Yang said. “Is there anything I am old enough for in your eyes?”

“Uhh... R rated movies, as long as they're not super graphic,” Taiyang said. “And...”

Taiyang sighed, his joking mood seeming to evaporate.

“Honestly, there's something else I'd say you're old enough for now. You'd have to know at some point,” he said.

“Whoa, total mood shift,” Yang said. “Are you about to tell me you're dying or something?”

“No, I'm in perfect health,” Taiyang said. He turned to completely face Yang. “Listen, Yang, this is about Summer.”

Yang's face fell, and she sat up.

“Okay,” Yang said.

“Summer Rose was an amazing woman, and the best mother I've ever seen,” Taiyang said. “And I just want you to remember, she cared about you greatly.”

“Okay,” Yang said nervously.

“Summer wasn't the first love I lost,” Taiyang said. “Before her, I was dating a woman named Raven.”

“Raven... I think I heard uncle Qrow mention a Raven once,” Yang said.

“Yeah,” Taiyang said. “Qrow, Summer, Raven and I were all good friends back in high school. I came from out in the boonies, Summer was from San Francisco, and Raven and Qrow both grew up here.”

“Did they grow up as, like, friends or something?” Yang asked.

“Not quite,” Taiyang said. “Brother and sister.”

“What?” Yang asked. “So Raven is my aunt?”

“Well,” Taiyang said. “That's kind of complicated. Like I said, I dated Raven for a while, before I ended up with Summer.”

Yang's eyes widened, and she leaned back slightly, her face seeming to drain of all color. Her hands slightly trembled, as realization hit her.

“Are you saying... Raven... was my mom?” Yang asked.

“Biologically,” Taiyang said. “Yes.”

“Wait, so Ruby and I-”

“Are half sisters,” Taiyang said.

“And Qrow-”

“Is your uncle by blood,” Taiyang said. “But not Ruby's.”

“What happened to her? Where did she go, why am I just hearing about this now?” Yang asked.

“She left,” Taiyang said. “She ran off when you were six months old, and I haven't seen her since.”

“She... she just left?” Yang asked, incredulously.

“There's a lot of reasons I never told you,” Taiyang said. “I didn't want you to resent Summer for what happened. I didn't want it to create a rift between you and Ruby. And to be honest, I didn't want to think about Raven. But you deserve to know.”

Yang's head spun, it felt as if the room was twisting around her.

“Where did she go?” Yang asked.

“I don't know,” Taiyang said.

“Why would she just abandon me?” Yang snapped.

“Raven was never great at prioritizing others,” Taiyang said. “She was scared of commitment. I think that's why she left, but to be honest, I don't know for sure.”

Yang fought back tears, rising to her feet.

“Where are you going?” Taiyang asked.

“I need to be with my friends right now,” Yang said.

“Alright,” Taiyang said. “Keep your phone on you, and remember, it's a school night.”

“I know,” Yang said, sending a text to Robyn.

“Yang,” Taiyang said. Yang turned to face him, still standing in the doorway. “If you're mad at me for this, then that's fair, and I'll accept that. But Ruby-”

“Ruby didn't do anything wrong, and this isn't gonna change anything,” Yang said. “She's my sister and I love her, I just need some space for a few hours.”

“Okay,” Taiyang said. “Be safe.”

“I will,” Yang said. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” Taiyang said.

* * *

“Come on, Ruby, you've got this!” Yang's voice called from the crowd. If anything, that just gave her more determination, more inspiration, to win this.

Ruby knew that she was close to meeting the requirements to move forward two years, to jump forward to being a high school junior.

It would do amazing things for her.

Getting into college, with something like that on her record? It'd be huge.

She'd always been gifted at certain subjects. She loved history, she held her own in math, and she could read for hours on end, even if she didn't broadcast any of this. Working with robotics? She'd love that, and Yang had told her about the robotics classes at Taylor High.

The biggest obstacle had been certain sciences. Sure, physics was always interesting, but biology took all of her effort to stay caught up in. But she had hit the mark there, and now, the only thing left?

She had to ace her P. E. exams, and track would give her an amazing amount of extra credit, especially if she got the gold medal.

She had done the math, and she would need the gold medal in order to jump forward.

She was smart, but not smart enough to be carried forward just on that alone.

Luckily, P. E., track, these were by far her best subjects.

As Yang cheered her on, she passed Lena, one of her classmates who always rivaled her speed. Only one person ahead now, and that was Barry, who she was gaining on.

She didn't remember very much of Summer Rose, but she knew that Summer was one of the most amazing women she'd ever heard of.

Summer had done _Olympic track_ , she had worked as a paramedic for years, and she eventually found her passion working in Search and Rescue.

Ruby didn't know if that was also her calling, but she knew she would stop at nothing to meet the degree of amazing Summer had achieved. She wouldn't stop until she knew Summer would be proud.

Meaning, she had to speed through all of the annoying prerequisites of accomplishment.

And all that stood in her way right now was that medal.

She leaned forward into her run, ignoring the burning in her legs, ignoring the fire that burned in her lungs, pushing herself to break her own personal record.

The distance between her and Barry was growing short, as the finish line approached.

In the background, her friends cheered her on, her sister cheered her on, and she did everything she could not to think about the rest of the audience, drowning her in their gaze.

Neck and neck.

The finish line was two seconds away.

She invested every bit of energy she could muster, anything she could manage.

And as she crossed the finish line, she felt the tape break against her.

Triumph swam in her mind as she slowed, coming to a stop, and eagerly accepting a bottle of water from the nearby tables.

She couldn't believe it.

She had won.

* * *

“I can't truly tell you two how proud I am,” Tai said, a wide grin on his face as Ruby dug into her special celebration dinner, which consisted of a pizza loaded with pepperoni, olives, sausage, jalapenos, garlic, bacon, onions, and mushrooms. Yang's was much simpler, being a Hawaiian pineapple and Canadian bacon mix. “Between Ruby getting the gold for track and Yang being undefeated for a full year in wrestling, I just want you to know, you both make me proud every single day.”

“Well, I did bust my ass for it,” Yang grinned. “And I know Ruby was absolutely wiped by the track run. You did amazing.”

Ruby matched Yang's grin, while opening a soda.

“I'm just glad I did it,” Ruby said. “I can't believe I'll be in high school, in the same grade as you!”

“This just means you'll have to regularly work as hard as you've worked the past two years,” Yang said. “It won't be easy.”

“I've got this,” Ruby said, waving her off. “Plus, I know I'll always have you to watch my back.”

“Speaking of which, I have some presents to hand out,” Tai said. “You've both earned them.”

“Ooh,” Yang said. “Don't keep us waiting, come on!”

Tai rolled his eyes, grabbing a wrapped box from the closet.

“This one's for Ruby,” he said. Ruby eagerly took it, tearing the wrapping paper off with no hesitation. She threw open the lid, looking down. She pulled out a red hoodie, with a silver rose design on the back, though it was faded.

Ruby's eyes went wide as she took it in, recognizing it from pictures of her mother.

“This was one of her favorites,” Tai said. “And you've finally gotten to the right size to wear it. I've been keeping it in good condition, specifically for you.”

“I...” Ruby said, lost for words. “Thank you.”

Yang put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, in a supportive manner.

“I hope you know, there isn't a day of your life she wouldn't have been proud of you,” Taiyang said. Ruby's eyes went even wider at that, and it was everything Ruby could do to avoid bursting into tears at that.

“You really think so?” Ruby asked.

“I know so,” he said. “She loved you more than I thought it was possible to love.”

Ruby took a deep breath in, holding the hoodie against herself.

“What about Yang's present?” Ruby asked, eager to shift the attention off of herself.

“It's not one that's wrapped. Yang,” Tai began. “You've been working so hard to learn to drive. You got your license, you've been committed to your job, and you haven't let it bring down your grades. So, I've been saving up a little, too. I'm putting nine grand towards your first car. With what you've been saving, that should let you get something that won't break down the moment you drive it off the lot.”

“Really?” Yang asked, sitting forward eagerly. “When can we go shopping for it?”

“Well, I was thinking this weekend,” he said. “If you're up for it.”

“Absolutely. One more question-”

“No motorcycles,” Tai added. “Besides, you don't even have a cyclist's license yet.”

Yang sighed, nodding.

“Can't blame me for trying,” she said.

“Now, this is just as much for me as it is for you,” Tai said. “I'm wanting to pick up extra shifts at work, and this means if either of you need to go somewhere while I'm at work, that's on you.”

“Obviously,” Yang said.

“Also-”

“No drinking, I have to drive safe, only take the freeway if I absolutely need to, and if I get a ticket I have to pay it off myself, right?” Yang interrupted.

“I'm impressed,” Tai smiled.

“You've only told me a million times,” Yang said. “I've pretty much committed it to heart by now.”


	6. The Rose and the Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby tries to get advice on improving her grades. Yang sorts out a personal grudge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for bullying, threats of physical violence, and a teacher being emotionally abusive to their students.

Ruby shuffled in her seat as Oobleck went on with his rant, scrawling her notes furiously. It wasn't that she wasn't putting in effort, she was. She also just had a huge tendency to make mistakes.

She wished she was like Warren, the slightly pretentious boy sitting next to her, who never seemed to fail any assignment. She had only known him for a week, but during that time, he had gotten a 100 percent in every single assignment and test handed out. She didn't know how he did it, but she had been considering asking for advice.

Her classes were varying degrees of difficult. History wasn't too hard, but that was because to her, history was basically like reading a really cool book. Getting a test about history wasn't too different from someone quizzing her knowledge on _My Hero Academia_. Her second period robotics and engineering class wasn't stressful either, but that was mostly due to the teacher, Mr. Polendina, who had no issue with working with every student to make sure they understood the material.

One of her favorite classes was taught by her uncle, Mr. Branwen, though he preferred that his students just call him Qrow. He taught theater, which had always been something Ruby enjoyed. She didn't really like being in the spotlight, she was one of the techies. She enjoyed the thought of acting, but being in front of the crowd was such an overwhelming thought, and on top of that, working behind the scenes was just as alluring.

In fourth period, she had Spanish, which had its ups and downs. Ms. Calavera was an amazing teacher, but that class had Cinder, who had immediately picked up on Ruby's anxiety and turned it into a weapon against her.

The silver lining was that once Spanish ended, she went to lunch, which was followed by P. E., another one of her favorites. Coach Goodwitch was strict, but refused to let anyone bully her for being moved ahead.

Seventh period was Mr. Lionheart's English class, which had both Miltia Malachite and Cinder Fall, making a brutal combination, especially factoring in Lionheart's tendency to ignore bullying entirely.

But it paled in comparison to the worst class of them all, it had everything awful rolled up into one. Cinder Fall, Henry Marigold, Melanie Malachite, all in one class, combined with her worst subject, biology, and to top it all off, Ms. Salem, who was strict and harsh, and wasted no time making sure Ruby personally understood that in her opinion, Ruby didn't deserve to be moved forward.

She had six days of experience in this school, and there were only a few constants she had picked up on. Seventh and eighth period were always torture, Qrow's theater class was always a blast, and a few people had showed up as friends to help out (aside from Yang, obviously).

Jaune Arc shared her awkward flustered reactions to everything, and they had quickly become a good pair of dorky friends. She also got to know the chaotic Nora Valkyrie, who had wasted no time cheering her up when things got overwhelming.

And most of all, the girl she shared second period robotics and sixth period P. E. with, Penny Polendina. She and Ruby immediately got along, Penny immediately understood all of Ruby's concerns and they bonded in almost no time.

Unfortunately, she hardly saw Penny due to schedule differences, so she had to make do with the time they could find.

“Now,” Oobleck said, pulling Ruby back to the current moment. “Who can tell me who one of Washington's most outspoken critics was?”

Blake Belladonna raised her hand.

“Yes, Blake?” Oobleck said.

“General Charles Lee,” Blake said.

“Correct,” Oobleck said. “Who can elaborate?”

Warren raised his hand at the same time as Blake raised hers.

“Warren,” Oobleck said.

“Notably, during the Battle of Monmouth Court House, General Charles Lee made several questionable calls that Washington drew attention to, critiquing his role as a leader,” Warren said.

“Lee expected praise for these calls, and was livid when he didn't receive it,” Blake added. “When he was called out, he blamed his subordinates, rather than taking responsibility.”

“Incidents like this led to Lee being court martialed,” Warren said, raising his voice over Blake's. “Despite this, he used this time to slander Washington several times, getting more enraged when he didn't receive an apology.”

“This disagreement,” Blake said, butting back in. “Led to both Baron von Steuben and John Laurens challenging him to a duel out of offense to these criticisms. Enoch Edwards and Alexander Hamilton attended the duel between Lee and Laurens, in which Lee was wounded and later discharged dishonorably.”

“Fascinating,” Warren muttered under his breath. “And here I thought your knowledge on the matter would be limited by _Hamilton_.”

Blake glared in annoyance as Oobleck stepped back in.

“A wonderful response, but I would like to remind you both that hostility has no place in a learning environment,” Oobleck said. “Charles Lee was very much one of the most outspoken critics of Washington, despite very few being willing to hear his words.”

Ruby watched in bewilderment as Warren and Blake exchanged glares, and then returned to her notes until a few minutes later, when Oobleck stepped out.

“Hey,” Ruby said, gathering the courage to ask the question she had been trying to for a week. “We never actually got to know each other, I'm Ruby.”

Warren rolled his eyes, and then slightly turned to face her.

“Warren Schnee,” he sighed.

“I, uh, I can't help but notice you always do really well in all of your classes,” Ruby said. “I was wondering how you do it.”

“Well, for one, I stay where I deserve to be, rather than trying to skip two years,” Warren snapped. “But beyond that, I would suggest you learn even the slightest shred of diligence and responsibility.”

Ruby was taken aback, and looked down to her notes in disappointment.

“I...”

“You don't skip two years by not being diligent,” Blake said, folding her arms. “I'd be willing to bet Ruby's worked far harder than you ever have.”

“What do you know about how hard _I_ work?” Warren scoffed. “The degree of responsibility I hold is more than you'll ever experience, and it's not something I hold lightly.”

“Responsibility?” Blake retorted. “Is that what you call lording your status over others?”

“I'm not having this conversation with you,” Warren said. “You'd never understand.”

Blake rolled her eyes and turned back to her textbook.

“So, Ruby,” Nora said, pulling her attention over. “I saw Yang's match the other day, she was amazing.”

“Isn't she?” Ruby asked. “At this rate, she's due for another year of championship.”

“We'll see about that,” Nora grinned. “I'll be gunning for her position.”

“I'll make sure to watch that,” Ruby said. “That'll be an amazing match.”

“Rumor is whoever gets boxing championship this year will get a scholarship for it,” Nora said. Behind her, Warren scoffed. Ruby ignored it, hoping Warren would drop it.

Was Ruby ever that lucky?

“Yes, because _that_ is what a scholarship should be for,” Warren said. “I thought scholarships were supposed to be a recognition of intelligence, but clearly anyone who can throw a punch need not a single brain cell to get one. What's next? Scholarships for hopscotch champions? Dodgeball scholarships?”

“What's your problem with Yang?” Ruby asked, turning to face Warren once more.

“My problem with her is the same problem I have with you. Neither of you have done anything to earn your position,” Warren said. Blake snorted behind her.

“As opposed to you?” Blake scoffed. “The only person in your family who earned their money was your grandfather, and I'd even argue he didn't deserve that much. You were handed your money, handed your mansion, born into a career. Ruby, you wanted to know the secret to his grades? It's money. He has resources the rest of us don't, that put him on top.”

“You-” Warren tried to retort.

“You'll probably use that money to buy your way into college, and eventually take over your father's company to continue to steal money from those that actually deserve it,” Blake interrupted.

“Ah,” Warren said. “There it is, you're jealous. You're jealous you'll never afford college, you'll never get a chance at the life I have.”

“I'm not jealous of anything, I'm angry, because of how many people you hurt,” Blake said. “I don't mind being poor, I have something you never will. A clear conscience.”

“As do I,” Warren said.

“Only because you delude yourself into believing you deserve your position,” Blake snapped.

Ruby fought to tune out their bickering, and turned back to Nora.

“Well, anyway,” Nora said, scratching the back of her head. “Yang and I are both some of the top members of both the wrestling and boxing teams.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” Ruby said. “Who else is up there?”

“For women's teams, Elm is also up there,” Nora said. “Joanna's also amazing, and I'd say Arslan could also carry our competitions. On the boy's team, Cardin and Yatsuhashi tend to win a lot of the matches.”

“Nice,” Ruby said. “Well, it's no tough girl sport, but if you'd ever wanna see me in track-”

“Are you kidding? The level of endurance you guys have over there is crazy,” Nora said. “Your work is cut out for you, though. Harriet and Neon have both been at the top of the track competitions for years.”

“Well, I'm sure I'll be right next to them in no time,” Ruby said.

“Yeah,” Nora grinned. “You've got this.”

* * *

“He said what?” Yang asked, her hands curling to fists.

“It was nothing,” Ruby said, awkwardly. “I did move forward two years, I knew some people would be kinda opinionated on it. I'm more upset about what he said about you.”

“What did he say about me?” Yang asked, folding her arms.

“Mainly just a bunch of garbage about wrestling and boxing. Nora and I were talking about the scholarship and he got real upset it was a thing,” Ruby sighed. “Went on and on about how you didn't earn it and that you're not smart, it was all just-”

“I'll talk to him,” Yang said. “He's always been a prick, but bullying you isn't okay.”

Yang didn't say it, but she was just as upset about what was said about _her_. She worked in everything she did to be a good example for Ruby, and for someone to act like she didn't deserve where she was just got to her.

She looked across the library, and spotted exactly who she was looking for. Currently, Warren was bickering once more with Blake, the debate now having shifted to the morality of the Schnee Auto Company.

“I'd like to see you manage a company more efficiently,” Warren snapped, as Yang walked up from behind. “You'd fail horribly.”

“Hey!” Yang spat, slamming her hands down on the table. Warren flinched, and Blake looked up, not having expected Yang to jump in. “I know you've got your whole 'being rich and pretentious' thing going on, but my sister is off limits. She worked her ass off to get to where she is, and the last thing she needs right now is some clueless rich kid trying to push her back down!”

Warren rolled his eyes.

“I didn't say anything that wasn't true. She has struggled to keep up the entire time she's been here, and I'll also point out that despite being exceptionally intelligent, I haven't skipped a year,” Warren said. “Neither of you would know anything about hard work.”

“I don't care how you wanna try to justify it,” Yang snapped. “Ruby is off limits.”

“Well, thankfully, you don't have any authority over me,” Warren said. “So I don't have to answer to you.”

“Maybe I'm not being clear,” Yang said, glaring down at him. “If this keeps up, I'll show you exactly _how I'm getting my scholarship_ ,” Yang said, cracking her knuckles in a nearly closed fist. “Unless you think your grades will really keep you safe from that.”

“Petty threats, that's where you're going with this?” Warren sneered, though Yang saw him recoil slightly while speaking. “Well, I'll keep that in mind. Now, I have actual work to do, if you'd leave me to it.”

Blake rolled her eyes, and began to walk away. Yang gave one last glare before she followed.

“Can I ask you a question?” Blake asked, turning to face Yang. “How do you deal with that?”

“I'll let you know if I ever come up with a way that works,” Yang replied, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. “You're new here, right?”

“Yeah,” Blake said. “Yesterday was my first day.”

“How are you liking it here?” Yang asked, plopping down on one of the library couches. Blake sat in an adjacent one, and sighed.

“Jury's out on that,” Blake said. “I've met a few people that are really nice, but overall, people here are... judgmental.”

“Oh, yeah,” Yang nodded, checking the time. She still had five minutes before break ended, which she was thankful for. She wasn't looking forward to dealing with Melanie and Cardin in one class, which was exactly what was waiting for her. “I feel that.”

“You're Yang, right?” Blake asked. “Ruby and Nora were talking about you, apparently they're both huge fans.”

“That's me,” Yang grinned. “And you're Blake, if I remember right.”

Blake nodded.

“The entire time I've been here, you're the first person I've seen really stand up to Warren,” Blake said. “I'm glad I'm not the only one.”

“Honestly, it was satisfying. Did you see the look on his face?” Yang smirked. “I really think he'll actually back off of Ruby, he looked like he was about to shit himself.”

Blake smiled in agreement.

“You know, if you ever want, we can talk to Mr. Port,” Yang said. “See if you can switch to my table, in case you want a lab partner that's not a total snob. I have to work with Miltia anyways, so I think even Warren would be okay with swapping.”

“I'd like that,” Blake said. “I'd like to not loathe second period ever single day.”

“Done. We'll talk to him tomorrow,” Yang agreed.

* * *

Ruby looked around the weight room, trying to find exactly what equipment she wanted to start with. As far as upper body strength went, she wasn't overflowing with strength, but on the upside, there were a few treadmills and ellipticals, so she did have something more familiar available. Harriet was already on a treadmill, and Reese was on the nearest elliptical. She passed Velvet, who was spotting for Gwen at the bench presses, and then passed Joanna, who was lifting dumbbells, until she finally reached the nearest treadmill.

“Hello, Ruby!” a familiar voice said, from the elliptical on the other side of the treadmill. The voice in question came from Penny, who stood at five feet, five inches (165 centimeters), and had a bronze skintone. Her hair was a deep ginger-orange shade, and went a few inches past her shoulders, curling in on the ends. Ruby hopped onto the treadmill and turned it on, while glancing over.

“Hey, Penny!” Ruby chirped in response. “How's your day been?”

“Oh, it's been wonderful!” Penny replied. “Arslan and I have been working together in Ms. Rumpole's class, and pride club went terrific today!”

“You're in pride club?” Ruby asked.

“Absolutely,” Penny said. “I'm one of the members that runs pride club, actually.”

“That's awesome!” Ruby said. “I'm really glad they have that here.”

“How about you? Has the school treated you well today?” Penny asked.

“For the most part,” Ruby sighed. “I mentioned a little bit about it earlier.”

“Warren,” Penny nodded, and Ruby saw a slight expression of hurt in her eyes. “It's not the first time he's acted like this.”

“What happened?” Ruby asked.

“Apparently Pyrrha saw him and the Malachite twins talking about me,” Penny sighed. “I'd rather people don't talk about me behind my back.”

“I'm sorry,” Ruby said. “That's not cool. What's his problem with you?”

“I'd... rather not go into that,” Penny said, looking down.

“Okay, I won't push it,” Ruby said. “But if he bullies you again, let me know, okay? I'd be happy to step in in your favor.”

“That means a lot to me,” Penny said. “Thank you, Ruby.”

* * *

“I trust you all have completed my assignments on cell division,” said Ms. Salem, from the front of her class. The teacher was five foot eleven (180 centimeters) tall without her heels, and could probably command respect from anyone in the school. She was as pale as the average Schnee, with blonde hair pulled into a bun. Bangs framed both sides of her face, not that it gave her any kinder of a look. Yang always thought she looked like the stereotypical schoolteacher from a hundred years ago, the kind that would threaten students with rulers over the slightest provocation.

Ms. Salem's eyes were a darker blue, and she always dressed in a black classy outfit, comprised of a lightweight business top with slacks, a maroon shirt under the business jacket. She wore earrings on both ears. Her fingernails were sharp, and a deep crimson color.

Her voice was dark and commanding, always quiet and calm, yet somehow always radiating suppressed anger with every word. Yang wasn't an easily intimidated woman, but every time Ms. Salem spoke Yang could feel her blood run cold, the hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck would prick up, and she felt a bit of her courage leave her.

“I sincerely hope that there's been an improvement from before, as the grades from yesterday's assignment were incredibly disappointing. I'll start with the bottom, shall I?” Ms. Salem asked.

Between her words, the class was as silent as the grave, which just further emphasized to Yang just how unnerving she seemed to be. It'd be one thing if Yang was unique in her fear, but even the noisiest students had _quickly_ learned that you don't speak out of turn in Ms. Salem's class.

“Jaune Arc,” she said, pulling out a test as she walked up to his desk. “You managed a fifty seven percent on this test. I'm not a woman to accept failure, so even on a good day, I wouldn't tolerate less than an eighty-five at the bare minimum. This, however, managed to render me surprised at just how inadequate someone's knowledge can be. I'm sure you'll have more time to improve your grades from detention over the next three days.”

Jaune nodded nervously, as she set the paper on his desk.

“Not too far behind is Ruby Rose,” Salem said. “How exactly you managed to get moved ahead two years is beyond me, based on this performance I would say you _should have been moved back_ two years, but as it isn't my decision, I will simply stress to you that if you receive sixty-two percent in my class again, you will become very familiar with the detention hall. And if improvement doesn't happen, you will not be passing my class. Is that understood?”

“Yes,” Ruby said, the color drained from her face. Yang wanted to leap to Ruby's defense, seeing the tears in Ruby's eyes flared up every big sister defensive feeling she had.

_So why was she so nervous to speak up?_

“Moving on,” Salem said, approaching Yang's table. Yang couldn't meet her eyes as she reached her destination, and instead felt as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.

_Could Salem sense her fear? Was she drawn to it? It was like she fed on it._

“A sixty-six percent is pitiful, but it's at least better than your sister managed,” Salem said, passing her her paper. She went down the list until she finally got to the top of the class.

“Henry Marigold managed a ninety-six percent,” Salem said. “On an average day, I would consider this the bare minimum. If the grading system worked as I pleased, this would be the requirement for passing. Melanie Malachite achieved two percent higher, and is one of the only students that seems to be taking this class seriously. And at a hundred percent is Cinder Fall, the only student in the entire class that actually meets my expectations.”

The student in question let herself advertise a smug expression that made Yang feel queasy.

“So tell me, what exactly went wrong here?” Salem asked, turning to face the class. “Every question in that assignment was answered in your textbook, and I went over it in class the day it was assigned. It isn't as if you hadn't the resources to complete it.”

Several students exchanged nervous glances.

“My question wasn't hypothetical. Jaune Arc, perhaps you could shed some light on what happened here,” Salem said. Jaune shrank away, his voice wavering as he spoke.

“I tried to rush through the assignment,” Jaune said nervously.

“Oh?” Salem asked. “This mentality that you can just... rush through... anything that inconveniences you, where do you think that will get you? Did anyone else receive a _failure_ of a grade because they lacked to patience and determination to actually see the assignment done?”

A few other hands raised.

“Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, Coco Adel, none of you appear to be in this group despite your poor grades, so what was it that caused this issue for you?” Salem asked.

Coco nervously spoke up.

“I had a hard time understanding the textbook,” Coco said.

“What part was unclear?” Salem asked, the mocking tone just _barely_ noticeable, but it was there.

“Um... well,” Coco said. “Most of it. A lot of the textbook was based around material we hadn't been taught.”

“I taught it in class,” Salem said. “Unless you simply just... weren't paying attention.”

“You did explain it, but I didn't quite understand-” Coco began.

“And did you bother to ask for clarification?” Salem asked. “No? Then my question for you is, if you had access to the proper resources and failed to ask, then who's fault is it that you _failed_?”

Coco looked down, wilting under the pressure Salem was exuding.

“Mine,” Coco said.

“That is correct,” Salem said. “I'll make sure I'm a lot more clear in the future, starting now. This doesn't happen again. From this point onward, I'll be ensuring lunch detention for any grade that falls below an eighty percent, and after school detention for anything below a seventy. Failure is unacceptable in this class. Does anyone have any questions?”


	7. The Truth Behind the Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss tries to find a temporary escape from her dysphoria and depression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW in this chapter for heavy mentions of depression, dysphoria, and heavily implied self harm.

It was with great relief that Weiss was finally able to walk home after arriving at the bus stop, having spent most of the day arguing over something she didn't even want to.

The worst part was that Blake, Yang, everyone she argued with, she agreed with them. She understood exactly why they were so upset, and truth be told, she was just as upset with herself. If she had a say in it, she never would have bullied Ruby. She never would have sided with her father, she never would have acted like she did.

If she had her way, she would be spending her lunches with Neon Katt and May Marigold rather than with Henry and the Malachite twins.

And during every second of the argument, it was everything she could do to avoid saying that.

Every day, the mask she was forced to wear felt heavier and heavier, like it was dragging her into a hole she could never dig her way out of. She wanted to claw the mask off, to finally let the world see her for who she truly was, but that felt like a pipe dream, a childish wish. One she had no chance at ever living through.

She sighed as she reentered the manor, glancing around to her surroundings. If her memory served, Jacques wouldn't be back until around six-thirty tonight, due to business. Winter was obviously off in college, cities away, and Willow would be either in the garden in the backyard, or locked away in the bar. Whitley had just gotten home as well, but he beelined for his room, apparently not wanting to talk.

Weiss first went to her room, taking off her backpack and checking her homework.

She had managed a ninety-nine in Ms. Salem's class, not that that was ever enough for Salem or Jacques. In the rest of her classes, she had maintained perfect grades so far this year.

As for tonight's homework, however, she probably had about four hours worth, giving herself extra time for Ms. Salem's notorious three-hundred question long assignments. That meant she had a little bit of time to spare, surely she could take out an hour.

After everything she had been through that day, she needed something to give her a win, something to ease the stress and depression clawing at her mind.

This week was already feeling like such a long week, and it was only Tuesday.

She stepped out of the room, looking around once more to ensure that no one was watching her, and then she hurried over to Winter's room, which hadn't been touched since Winter last visited, two months ago.

Her room looked astonishingly the similar to when Weiss had first worn a dress, eleven years ago. Winter's bed still had the exact same hospital corners, the windows just as clean, the _only_ thing that had changed is that the furniture had been replaced with bigger furniture to accommodate Winter as she grew.

Winter, unlike Weiss and Whitley, had a bathroom built into her room. Weiss had hoped she would have been moved into Winter's room when she went off into college, but in retrospect it was for the best that she hadn't been, as Winter's belongings would have been moved out.

Most of Winter's belongings Weiss was perfectly eager to leave where they were. She closed the door, and hurried over to the bathroom, already knowing exactly where Winter kept her makeup.

Right above the sink, the mirror opened up to a medicine cabinet, where Winter kept her rather luxurious supplies of makeup. This was, of course, just her backup supply as she had obviously taken most of her belongings with her to Atlas University, but there was enough left here for Weiss to work with.

Weiss' experience on makeup was frustratingly little. She had seen plenty of tutorials on the internet, but without any actual practice to pair with it, it meant very little.

Since that day eleven years ago, Weiss had only been in this room one other time. About six months ago, she had gone to do exactly what she was doing now. Day after day of seeing someone that looked more like Jacques Junior than anything Weiss ever wanted to look like in the mirror had been chipping at her mind, at her soul, and she had cracked. In desperation to be able to see herself as she _should_ look, she had gone to use Winter's makeup.

Unfortunately, she had been too scared to actually do anything once she was in. At the time she didn't know what any of it was, she didn't understand how it worked, what went where, it was all foreign to her.

At that point she had wondered, how did any of the trans students at her school know what to do? Had May Marigold figured it out herself? Had Neon Katt been shown how? How did Penny know? She couldn't ask someone, there was no way any of her family would have showed her.

Between not knowing what to do and the constant terror that Jacques Schnee would barge in like he had over a decade ago, she had backed off and retreated to her room.

In the half a year since, however, she kept thinking back to that medicine cabinet.

She was more prepared now. She had watched hours of makeup tutorials on YouTube, quizzing herself on everything she could learn, but despite that, something still bothered her.

When it came to art, you can know every little detail about the subject. You could be a human dictionary, atlas, thesaurus, and encyclopedia on an art form but without experience, without practice, it would ultimately mean _absolutely nothing_.

She had tried twice in the past few months to rack up the courage to try this again, both times freezing when she got to Winter's door.

She knew she only succeeded this time because of the events of the day. There was _nothing_ she wanted at the moment more than to escape being Warren Schnee, for as long as she could.

So, looking up and down the medicine cabinet, she called to her hours and hours of videos, drawing that knowledge to the front of her mind so that she could gather her supplies.

Setting powder. Foundation. Eyeliner. Eyeshadow. Mascara. Lipstick. Lip liner. Blush. The basics. She took a deep breath in, looking into the mirror, and then she got to work.

As the tutorials always recommended, she needed to get the foundation even before anything else. She spent several minutes applying it, before deciding she had done enough and moving on. After a few minutes of work, she finally was ready for the eyeliner.

She took a deep breath in, and then raised the liquid eyeliner to her eye.

Her first though once she got started was ' _Why can't I stop flinching? Hold still, damn it!_ '

She gritted her teeth, doing her best to keep her eyes still.

She knew she had to give it time to dry before she could move on to the eyeshadow, so she applied the lipstick while she waited.

 _How is lipstick this hard to apply? It looks so easy when other people do it_.

Finally, she finished working on her lips and was able to move back up to her eyes, working tediously on the shadow.

A full forty-five minutes after she had started, she finally finished up, hoping maybe it would look better once she took a step back and looked at the overall makeup job, rather than the individual parts of it.

It didn't.

The eyeliner was smudged all over her eyelids, the eyeshadow was far too heavy, the lipstick didn't follow her lip shape properly, and she had used the wrong tone for blush.

All she had wanted was for the dysphoria to recede a little, she hadn't been asking for it to go away entirely, she hadn't been asking for much.

_So why was even that apparently too much to ask?_

She felt like a clown, like a freak, she felt gross. She felt like the butt of a joke, she felt hideous.

She felt _repulsed_ by herself, more than usual.

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She had been trying not to shatter all day, all week, hell, she had been trying not to shatter for years, holding back the tears while they welled in. She felt like there was a pressure gauge that was about to burst on her head, like she had been holding back a tidal wave for weeks.

She covered her mouth to keep quiet as she lost control, sinking to the ground while tears ran down her face, distorting her makeup further.

It was like drowning on land. Every day felt more and more hopeless, in every way.

It wasn't just the mask she had to wear. That was a huge part of it, but so much more contributed.

The _loneliness_ was to heavy to bear. Jacques wanted a pawn, Willow didn't care about anything that wasn't at least forty percent alcohol, Winter had ran off to Atlas University and couldn't care less about Weiss, and Whitley just wanted something that gave him a leg up in any competitive situation.

Henry wanted a business partner. Melanie and Miltia wanted gossip.

If Weiss was gone, if she vanished off the face of the earth that night, it was obvious that not a single soul would miss her.

Jacques would be mad his investment in her didn't pan out. Willow probably wouldn't even notice anything changed. Winter might be sad, but if she ever found out who Weiss really was, those feelings would evaporate instantly. Whitley would probably feign genuine love and mourning to move his own ambitions forward. Henry and the Malachites would do the same. And the people she wanted the friendship of the most? The people she wanted the approval of most?

May would probably say it was for the best that there were less people like her in the world now. Neon wouldn't blink, she would be completely unfazed by her disappearance. Blake would probably celebrate with Yang and Ruby.

Weiss couldn't even be angry at anyone other than herself about it. Her father had made his orders clear on who she was allowed to be friends with, but she was the one who followed them.

She stood, her tears having subsided for the moment, everything having gone quiet for now. She used makeup removal wipes to clean herself off, frustrated that there was still a dark shadow around her eyes she couldn't completely remove.

Hopefully she could simply pass it off as exhaustion, it wasn't as if Jacques or Whitley knew much about makeup.

She listened by the door to make sure no one was waiting on the other side, and hurried back over to her room, closing the door behind her.

She could feel it coming back, once again it felt like an ocean of emotions and tears that she was trying to hold back with her hands, and she wasn't strong enough to keep pushing so much back.

She curled up, sobbing into her knees, doing everything she could to keep from being audible. The last thing she needed was someone walking in and seeing her like this. She could just hear Jacques' words.

“ _Did I not raise you to be respectable? You're a Schnee, you're a man, get a grip! I didn't raise you to collapse into a pathetic puddle of tears at the slightest inconvenience!”_

She didn't know how to stop. She was constantly keeping the mask he forced her to wear, pressed tightly against her face, but it was slipping and she was getting worse and worse at holding it on.

And at the same time, wearing it was destroying any chances she had of ever escaping him.

The thought crossed her mind, the ironic thought that hurt more than anything else.

If she really did what she wanted to, if she was open about who she was, rather than investing all of her energy into being another Jacques, then everyone that hated her at school would probably care about her. They would probably be her friends, real friends, rather than gossips and shallow acquaintances like the 'friends' she had now.

It felt like maybe she could have had everything she wanted, had she just made a different call in the past. But it was too late now.

Now everyone had formed their opinion on her.

Hell, if she had decided only a few days ago to be herself, maybe at the very least Blake might care about her.

But now Blake hated her. Blake hated her and Weiss knew that she deserved it, that she had no one to blame for that but herself.

She wanted to scream. It felt like every decision she made was destroying her life, tearing her apart further and further, and she couldn't stop. She was too scared to stop.

She hated Jacques more than she knew how to put into words. If she had just been born to someone different, someone that wasn't him, maybe things could be different.

Her mind kept racing back to the last few days of school. To the things she said, to the words that came out of her mouth, and the effect they had.

She had seen Penny recoil any time she saw her, she had seen Pyrrha and May giving her death glares over what she had said on that bus.

Yang and Blake's anger, which Weiss couldn't blame in the slightest. She knew she deserved every word they could throw her way, and more. A part of her had wanted Yang to hit her, she had wanted herself to _hurt_ for what she did.

She still wanted herself to hurt.

Through tears, she looked up, onto her desk. To the supplies on it, which included a pair of scissors.

* * *

Weiss winced, sitting down at the dinner table. Her thigh burned, but as usual, she knew exactly whose fault that was.

A few of Jacques' personal waiters carried the food over to the dining table, not that Weiss felt particularly eager to eat. After everything she had been dwelling on, her appetite felt nonexistent.

Jacques himself sat at one end of the table, reinforcing his image of being the dominant member to the house. Willow surprisingly was present at the table, sitting several seats away from anyone else. She wasn't speaking, and she was hardly eating.

Whitley was already enjoying his meal, seemingly oblivious to the frigid atmosphere of the room.

Perhaps the most unexpected part of dinner, and a contributing reason to Weiss' lack of appetite, as the person sitting between herself and Jacques.

“Have you been expelled?” Whitley sneered, his mocking tone overwhelming his voice. “You don't usually come down except for on rare weekends or during summer break.”

“I had some leave time saved up,” Winter replied, glancing up from her steak, which she was in the middle of cutting off a piece of. “But if they ever do expel me, I'll make sure to let you know.”

“On that note,” Jacques said. “Your grades at the University, how are they?”

“Sufficient,” Winter said, her tone changing the moment she replied to him. “I assure you I haven't been neglecting my classes.”

“Good,” Jacques said. “It's fortunate that you may still have at least a somewhat profitable career ahead of you. Warren, update the table on your grades.”

“Since the start of the school year,” Weiss said, trying to hold back a sigh. “I have accomplished perfect grades in all but one class. For biology, my average is currently a ninety-nine percent.”

“And why is this?” Jacques asked.

“Personal error,” Weiss flinched. “It won't happen again.”

“Good,” Jacques said. “And how goes your progress for the student elections?”

“I'm putting together a campaign,” Weiss said. “Having been student vice president last year will raise my chances.”

“When are elections?” Jacques asked.

“One month from now,” Weiss said.

“And are you informed on the other candidates?” Jacques asked.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “Robyn Hill. Marrow Amin. Cardin Winchester.”

“What are their chances?” Jacques asked.

“Cardin Winchester is the quarterback, he has popularity going for him but beside that, he has no qualifications for the position, and is only interested in holding it as a status,” Weiss said. “Marrow lacks popularity, but holds some qualifications. I wouldn't consider either of them to be likely threats here. Robyn Hill is both popular and qualified, she's the main person I'm running against.”

“Then see to it that you win, whatever the cost,” Jacques said. “This will give you both the experience and the qualifications needed to run this company.”

“Yes, father,” Weiss said.

“And Whitley, how has your schoolwork progressed?” Jacques asked.

“Flawlessly,” Whitley said. “For the past three years, as you know, I have held an average of a hundred percent in every single class, and I predict that this year, the trend will continue. As an added benefit, I have joined the chess club this year.”

“Good,” Jacques said. With that, he went silent for the moment. Weiss gave a quiet sigh of relief as he did.

“It's wonderful to see you again,” Weiss said, glancing up to Winter.

“Likewise, Warren,” Winter said, giving a slight smile.

Weiss suppressed another wince.

“What's wrong with your eyes?” Jacques asked after a few seconds. The moment he asked, everyone except for Willow turned to Weiss, to see what he meant. Weiss felt herself blush slightly as everyone looked, and she quickly spoke up with the excuse she had prepared.

“I haven't been sleeping well,” Weiss said.

“See to it that it improves,” Jacques snapped.

“Yes, father,” Weiss said.

Jacques and Whitley both looked back to their food, but Winter's gaze rested on Weiss for a few seconds longer, and she could have sworn the expression Winter bore ever so briefly was skepticism.

Before she had too much time to think about it, however, Winter returned to her meal as well, which was mostly quiet.

* * *

Most rich families usually had their employees do household chores, but Jacques had always seen to it that his children did a portion of them. The way he saw it, it was a matter of building character.

Weiss wasn't exactly upset at that, knowing she still had it far easier than most. So she was familiar with dishes, it wasn't exactly a new experience for her. That being said, she certainly didn't mind having company while she worked, as she very much didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts after everything that had gone wrong that day.

“You said during dinner you hadn't been sleeping well,” Winter said, as Weiss scrubbed the last plate.

“Yes,” Weiss nodded. “Between homework usually keeping me up until midnight and some night terrors, I've been rather restless.”

“Well, I can certainly understand that,” Winter said. “I've had nightmares semi-regularly as well.”

“It'll probably go away soon,” Weiss said. She, after all, hadn't been lying about the nightmares. She did have them often, usually about Jacques, or many times, about herself.

Weiss turned off the sink and dried her hands, before stepping out of the kitchen, Winter not too far behind.

“If you can spare some time away from your homework, I'd like to spend some time with you while I'm in town,” Winter said. Weiss thought back to her homework. She really needed to get more done, but at the same time, she hated the idea of being cooped up in that room for the rest of the night, alone with her thoughts.

“I can spare some time,” Weiss said. “Probably between thirty minutes to an hour.”

“Good,” Winter said. As they began to walk back to the rooms, Winter continued to talk. “How have you been?”

“I've been well,” Weiss lied. “As I mentioned, my grades are maintaining at a-”

“Warren,” Winter interrupted. “I know about your grades. I want to know how _you_ have been. Have you made any new friends? Have you taken up any new hobbies?”

“Oh,” Weiss said. “My friends have been the same as before. As for hobbies, I can't say I've had time for that.”

Winter's face fell slightly as Weiss mentioned her friends.

“Do you have a problem with Henry, Melanie, or Miltia?” Weiss asked.

“If I'm being honest, they're rather shallow,” Winter said. “On top of that, I'm familiar with the Marigold family's way of doing things. I want better than them for you.”

 _You probably wouldn't think that if you knew the truth about me_.

“I appreciate your concern,” Weiss said. “But for now, they're acceptable.”

Winter nodded in acknowledgment as they passed Weiss' room.

“Winter?” Weiss asked, stopping at her door.

“It's been a while since I've seen my old room, I was hoping we could speak there,” Winter said.

Weiss felt her heart stop for a moment.

 _Did she know? She looked at my eyes for a while. She knows, there's no way she doesn't_.

“Very well,” Weiss said, her mouth having gone dry. As they walked to Winter's door, and she opened it, Weiss felt her heart pounding in her chest, like a heavy drum being played at super speeds. She felt just the slightest bit dizzy as Winter closed the door once they were in, and turned to move to her bathroom with no hesitation.

“Do you mind if I ask you something?” Winter asked, stepping into her bathroom. Weiss froze in place, unable to bring herself to move as Winter reached out to her cabinet.

She could see Winter's reflection in the mirror, and her own behind her.

And Winter was just as aware of Weiss' expression, which was trying to conceal panic but doing rather poorly.

Winter pulled the cabinet open, taking in her makeup.

Weiss suddenly realized her second mistake, and she mentally kicked herself for it.

_How could I possibly be so stupid?_

She had grabbed the makeup, without paying attention to _how Winter organized it_ , and put it back during her meltdown, in a hurry.

“Is there anything you'd like to tell me?” Winter asked, turning back to Weiss.

* * *

“Can you believe this?” Yang asked, as she and Ruby walked. “Another three hundred questions, not a single one is multi-choice, and literally forty of them require half a page of response. This is bullshit!”

“I don't want to make a big deal out of it,” Ruby sighed, hands gripping the straps of her backpack. “Ms. Salem doesn't like that I got moved ahead, but if I'm not causing problems and I work hard, I'm sure her opinion of me will change.”

“No,” Yang said, turning her head to face Ruby more directly. “You shouldn't have to prove yourself to her. Besides, this is, like, end of course exam type homework. And we're not even a month into the school year. This is completely unnecessary, it's like she just wants to make this harder on all of her students.”

“I think the worst part is that it's so hard, even most of the students that do perfect in every class can't get a hundred percent in her class,” Ruby said. “I heard Warren hasn't gotten higher than a ninety-nine, and Henry Marigold can't get higher than a ninety-seven.”

“You're not wrong!” Yang said. “Blake usually _loves_ biology classes, and she spent hours on her homework and double checked everything, and she only got a ninety-two percent! Cinder and Tyrion are, like, the only people that have ever managed a perfect grade in her class.”

“And even then, the most she will say is that they _met_ her expectations,” Ruby said. “That's it.”

“I'm not asking for hours of praise, but it's like she honestly hates all of her students,” Yang said.

“And she says the answers are in the book, but it never says where!” Ruby exclaimed as they stepped onto their driveway. “Not even, like, saying what chapter it's in! We have three different biology textbooks and each one has, like, two thousand pages!”

“Ugh,” Yang said. “I thought I hated some of the classes I had in the past, but I really hate her class. Like, more than I thought I could.”

Yang opened their front door, with a sigh, and they sat down on the couch.

“Well, this is gonna be most of the night,” Yang groaned. “I'm gonna heat up some pizza, after that, wanna work together on it?”

Ruby nodded.

“Grab me a rockstar while you're up?” Ruby asked. “And if we need a break, Destiny 2?”

“Absolutely,” Yang said. “But, next time, I pick the game.”

“Deal,” Ruby said, pulling out the heavy packet of biology homework.

* * *

“So, how was your second day?” Ghira Belladonna asked. Blake sat down with a heavy sigh. “That bad?”

“I'll give today this, it was awful, but I don't wanna quit like I did yesterday,” Blake said, rubbing her temples. “If it gets you and mom off my back, I've made a few friends.”

Ghira smiled as he sat next to her, and at the same time, Kali Belladonna hurried in from the living room, pulling Blake into an embrace.

“I'm so proud of you!” Kali said.

“Agh! Mom!” Blake complained, before Kali let her go.

“I'm sorry,” Kali said. “I'm just so happy for you!”

“Ilia introduced me to some of the other LGBT students,” Blake said. “But I think the two I've gotten along the best with are Yang and Sun. Sun shares my bus route, and, well, Yang kinda helped me when I was arguing with Warren Schnee. That being said, it was still an exhausting day. I honestly don't know which is worse between Nebula's direct bullying and Cinder and Carmine's method of...”

“Backhanded compliments?” Kali asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah! How did you know?” Blake asked.

“Once upon a time, I went to school, too,” Kali sighed, taking a sip of her tea.

“Unfortunately, I think there will always be people like that in the world,” Kali said.

“It's just frustrating. On top of that, the biology teacher is just... incredibly harsh and awful, and I really just didn't think I'd be going to school with Jacques Schnee's son.”

“Sometimes, life throws us curveballs we aren't prepared to fight,” Ghira said. “I prefer to think of it as a learning experience.”

“And what am I supposed to learn from this?” Blake asked, exasperated.

“Well, I can't tell you for sure,” Ghira said. “But I'd say part of it probably has to do with knowing when to pick your battles.”

Blake blinked, surprised.

“Really?” Blake asked. “And this is coming from you? I thought you always talked about how important activism is.”

“It is,” Ghira said. “But there's a vast difference between taking no action, and taking a step back when you don't have the energy to win a fight. On top of that, do you think your arguments are going to change his behavior?”

“Well... not really,” Blake said. “I think part of it is just... I'm angry at him. I hate everything he stands for.”

“Blake,” Kali said. “I appreciate how much you care about what the Schnee Auto Company did to us, but that is a conflict between me and the Schnee Auto Company, that isn't your fight with Warren.”

“But it affected all of us,” Blake said. “We were all hurt because of how they made their choices, and at the rate Warren's going, he's going to lead the company just like his father.”

“Probably,” Ghira said. “But is it really worth investing this much energy into something that won't change that?”

“Taking a stand is important,” Kali said. “And I know for a fact that whenever his actions hurt someone, and you're able to, you'll be there to help them. It isn't your responsibility to constantly fight with him.”

Blake sighed, and then nodded.

“I understand,” Blake said. “But understanding it doesn't mean I can just be okay with what he's doing.”

“And we'd never want you to be,” Kali said. “We aren't asking you to get along with him. Just that you not go out of your way to argue when you don't have the energy for it.”

Blake nodded again.

“I'll try,” she said.

“Besides, right now I think that time would be better invested getting to know your friends,” Ghira said.

“Well, let's see if I even have time for that after all this homework,” Blake said.

  
  



	8. The Love of the Elder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss and Winter have a serious and emotional conversation. Blake and Penny get to know Ruby and Yang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for transphobia, anxiety attacks, implied PTSD, mentions of abuse, bullying, slut shaming, and more mentions of Salem being abusive to her students.

Weiss felt like her whole body had been frozen solid. Her heart pounded against her rib cage, threatening to burst from it. Her hands trembled and shook without her control, she could feel a slight cold sweat on her forehead. The ground was spinning like a top, tilting and wobbling uncontrollably, making her feel increasingly more queasy with every second. It was like any minute, the floor of Winter's room would rush up, a million miles an hour, to hit Weiss' face. Everything blurred as her breathing span out of control.

Winter was looking her way, calmly awaiting a response, but Weiss couldn't get the words out of her lips.

She only remembered feeling this scared in her life once before, and it was in this exact same room, eleven years prior.

She could still hear the door fly open, still hear Jacques' booming voice, still hear his threats echoing in her mind.

She remembered being called a degenerate, a freak. She flinched just at the mere memories, which just drove her further into panic.

The one saving grace is that Winter had turned on the fan in her bathroom, which lessened the chance of anyone hearing anything from outside the bedroom.

She couldn't fight, not realistically anyway. If she tried to argue with Winter to salvage her situation, it would just result in Jacques finding out what had happened.

She couldn't flee. It was either Winter or Jacques.

She had no clue where to go, what to do. Even though she understood logically that while this was bad, it wasn't life or death, she still felt as though her life was at stake.

“I... um... I...” Weiss stammered, doing everything she could to force out a response. She had no clue what the response was supposed to be, what she was supposed to say, and even if she did, that didn't take away the panic constricting her every move.

“In case you're ever looking to try this again in the future, I'd recommend you keep in mind that eyeliner and eyeshadow can leave a residue that is much harder to remove than most makeup,” Winter said. “And while we're at it, I have an organizational scheme I stick to, so it'd be wise to learn it if you wanted to keep me from finding out.”

Weiss shrunk away, wishing she could just vanish from the very place she stood. She knew that no matter what came next, things were about to get so much worse.

Would Winter yell at her?

Would she tell Jacques?

What would Jacques do?

Maybe Winter would just stop talking to Weiss altogether. Sure, it'd be better than being yelled at or hit, but no matter what, one thing was definite. Even if she managed to persuade Winter not to tell Jacques, she was going to lose Winter. Her only friend, the only person that ever seemed to care about her in the slightest.

It was over, and Weiss knew it was all hopeless.

Every possibility raced through her mind.

“Listen,” Winter said, her voice soft. She stepped out of the bathroom, intentionally leaving the fan on. “I'm not angry. I'm not upset, I'm not even hurt. I'd just like to understand why.”

_What?_

Weiss hadn't heard her right. She knew that for sure, there was no way Winter had actually said that.

Winter took a seat on her bed, and motioned with her hand for Weiss to sit next to her.

Weiss, trembling, took a seat, still shrinking away from Winter. She couldn't bring herself to look at her.

“I very much doubt you remember,” Winter said. “But a long time ago, when I was only eight years old, there was a day that I had my friends over, and Ciel had the idea of practicing makeup. After talking about it, we asked if we could practice on you. According to Ilia, it was pretty stereotypical big sister stuff. But while most little brothers adamantly protested the idea, you didn't. You actually seemed like you were having a lot of fun, and when you saw the makeup, you actually seemed genuinely happy, more than I'd ever seen you before, happier than I've ever seen you since. You seemed relieved.”

“I remember,” Weiss said quietly.

“For just a few seconds, you were the happiest you've ever been in your entire life,” Winter said. “And then father barged in.”

Weiss flinched, squeezing her eyes shut. The memory was almost as old as she herself was, but she could still recall details like that perfectly. Other parts were blurry, but that always remained crystal clear.

“He was angrier than I've ever seen,” Weiss muttered.

Winter wasn't the physically affectionate type. She didn't ever roughhouse, she didn't like being touched, at all.

Which explained why Weiss was sure she was dreaming when Winter wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her in.

There was no way this was happening. Winter had known, and she wasn't yelling, she hadn't told Jacques...

Winter seemed worried. The way she pulled her close, like she was shielding her, Weiss had never felt anything like it before.

She had never even been hugged before, let alone like this.

Tears once again welled up in her eyes, threatening to cascade out at any moment.

She immediately knew that she never wanted this dream to end. It was far too good to be true, and she knew that, but she just wanted to find solace in it while it lasted.

“I remember how scared you were, that day. And I've seen you just as frightened, time after time, since then. I've seen what _he_ has done to you,” Winter said, and Weiss could feel her anger when Jacques was mentioned. “I'm sorry. I wanted to protect you from him. I still want to.”

It couldn't be real.

Could anyone actually love Weiss?

Was there even the slightest chance this wasn't a dream?

“Please,” Winter said, her voice urgent as she released Weiss from her embrace. She placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder, looking down at her. “I just want to understand.”

Weiss took in a deep breath, and then let it out. And again. And again. She did everything she could to calm herself down enough to speak.

“I,” Weiss began, her voice barely more than a whisper, terrified that Jacques could hear her. Winter must have noticed, because she got up and moved onto Weiss' other side, sitting between her and the door, serving as a shield in the event that Jacques entered the room. “W-Winter?”

“Yes?” Winter asked.

“I...” Weiss said, still unable to force the words out. She took one more breath, and then just forced herself to say everything before she could think twice. “I wasn't born in the right body. I'm not normal. I-”

Winter put her hand back on Weiss' shoulder, interrupting her words with her own quiet, but caring tone.

“In junior high, I first heard the word 'transgender', and all I could think of was that day. I always wondered. I've seen so many of the signs, I noticed every time you would stare at girl's toys and clothes, when we would be shopping. I noticed how much you tried to be soft-spoken, despite father trying to force a harsher tone into you. I noticed everything, I just... I'm sorry. I was scared, too. I didn't know how to help.”

Weiss was astonished. There wasn't an ounce of disgust or anger in Winter's words. Weiss had imagined every possibility of how Winter would react, but this had never even crossed her mind as possible.

“You... don't hate me?” Weiss said, her voice so quiet Winter _almost_ didn't hear it.

Winter's eyes went wide, full of shock.

“I could never hate you!” Winter gasped. “Why would you ever think I would hate you?”

Weiss looked at the floor, feeling guilt flood her mind.

After everything, Winter was actually here, she was actually supportive, she was accepting of her. _Was Weiss really about to throw the past in her face?_

Winter, however, wasn't willing to drop the matter. She waited, patiently, as Weiss clearly struggled to find her words.

“It's just... well... Ilia, and May,” Weiss said, at the same time feeling her conscience lighten just slightly because she finally used May's real name. “When Ilia came out, you didn't approve, and when Henry mentioned May at the party...”

It was now Winter's turn to stare at the ground in guilt.

“You're right to bring those up,” Winter said. “I promise you, I feel no pride at all in how I handled either situation. You've trusted me with something, so now I'll do the same for you. If I'm being completely honest, I'm a coward. I was always so ashamed of who I was, that I threw others under the bus in order to protect myself. I lied to myself for years, hoping that if I lied enough, maybe I'd finally be straight like father wanted. But the truth is, I reacted the way I did when Ilia came out because... well, because I'm also a lesbian.”

Weiss' eyes went wide.

“You... you are?” Weiss asked.

“And I was scared. I was scared of seeing how my father would react. A small part of me was scared that if I accepted Ilia, maybe I'd start to accept myself, and then I'd realize... just how unhappy I am here, with father.”

“A-and May?” Weiss asked, nervously.

“I wanted to bury myself. If I hadn't joined in, I was worried father would start to see me for who I am,” Winter said. “It's no excuse, and I know that full well. I have no valid excuse for any of it, and if I could change it I would without any hesitation, but I _can't_.”

Weiss heard the pain in her voice, especially on the last word.

“I've been doing the exact same thing,” Weiss said. “I've been an awful person, and I hate everything about myself.”

Winter shared a look of sorrow with Weiss.

“There isn't a day that's gone by where I haven't missed Ilia. She was one of the most amazing people I've ever met, and I don't think I will ever forgive myself for what I did to her,” Winter said. “I know she won't, either, and I can't blame her.”

“I... I was just scared that if you knew the truth, you'd hate me, that you'd never want to talk to me ever again. I... I was scared you'd tell father...”

Winter pulled her into another embrace, practically squeezing Weiss to death.

“I'd never do that to you. You're my little sister,” Winter said.

That was all it took. The moment she heard those words, the moment Winter called her _her sister_ , Weiss burst into tears. She couldn't stop herself from sobbing into Winter's arms.

She couldn't believe Winter was actually acknowledging her as her.

“You promise this isn't a joke or a prank?” Weiss said, between sobs.

“I promise,” Winter assured her. “I would never do something like that to you.”

“And... you're not angry that I took some of your makeup?” Weiss asked.

“Not even in the slightest,” Winter said. “I can always get more makeup, and I'm happy to lend it to you, too.”

For several moments, Winter held Weiss, and Weiss was perfectly content to just lay in her arms, letting herself actually feel loved and cared about, for the first time in her life.

“I'd like to ask you just a few more questions,” Winter said, breaking the silence after almost ten minutes. “What are your pronouns?”

Weiss couldn't describe how affirming it felt to actually be asked that question. She had overheard several of the trans students at school mention things like that before, but she _never_ thought she would _ever_ be the one being asked.

“She/her,” Weiss said, trying to keep herself from collapsing into tears once more.

“Alright,” Winter smiled. “And I've seen that look, the way you flinch whenever I use the name father gave you. I never want to use that name again, if I can help it. I'm assuming that around other people, at least for now, it'd still be for the best that I use that one. But when it's safe to, I'd like to use _your real name._ What is your real name?”

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep herself from crying.

“Weiss,” she said, her voice unsteady. “My name is Weiss.”

“Weiss,” Winter repeated. “That's such a beautiful name.”

* * *

Wednesday morning, Blake was more than eager to get through today as quickly as possible. She felt an immense longing for the weekend, and it seemed impossible that somehow she still wasn't even halfway through.

So when she arrived at the bus stop, and Warren came around the corner, a block away, she took a deep breath, hoping that things would be as peaceful as possible.

She really just didn't have the energy to fight.

Warren eventually reached the boulder-bench, and took a seat on the far left, Blake having sat on the far right.

She winced when he opened his mouth to speak, readying herself for whatever the topic of their argument today would be.

“I'd really like not to fight today,” he said. “So I'd like to propose that I give you space, and I request that you do the same.”

 _That wasn't what I expected_.

Blake recovered from her surprise, and spoke up.

“I'd like that,” she said.

A few moments passed in silence, but for once, the silence wasn't tense and hostile. Blake, however couldn't shake the surreal feeling that came with it.

“Can I ask why today's different?” Blake asked. Warren sighed, thinking over his answer.

“I... understand your stance. You have your feelings on the matter, and I have mine. But I don't think there's anything either of us have to gain from bickering,” Warren said. “And I'm... really tired of arguing.”

 _For a Schnee, that's a really decent answer_.

Blake nodded, still curious about his reasoning, but willing to drop it for now.

That didn't stop her from wondering, however. He seemed much less sure of himself than he usually did, and she had no clue how to react.

He seemed like a completely different person than the Warren Schnee she had gotten to know so many times before.

Either way, when the bus got here, she was happy to be able to get on without conflict, unlike the day before.

* * *

As the day went on, Blake came to the conclusion that she had been wrong, and that Warren was exactly who he seemed like. Despite their decent conversation at the bus stop, she had noticed that by the time they got to the school, he was up to his usual bullying, with the current topic of his conversation with the Malachite twins and Henry being feminism as a whole, and drawing a lot of focus towards outspoken feminist students, especially Robyn Hill, who was apparently also Warren's rival for the upcoming student president election.

Taking her parents' advice, she elected simply to focus her time on getting to know her friends better, rather than letting herself get angry over something she had no say in. She grabbed her breakfast and took a seat next to Yang, who was halfway through a breakfast cinnamon roll.

“It's been way too long,” Ruby said, nodding in agreement. “My aim is gonna get rusty if we don't go again soon.”

“I'll tell you what, we'll go this weekend,” Yang promised. “Oh, hey, Blake.”

“Hi,” Blake said. “Is it alright if I sit here?”

“Absolutely,” Yang said.

“What are you talking about?” Blake asked, grabbing some scrambled eggs with her fork.

“Paintball,” Ruby said. “Have you ever played?”

“Not really,” Blake said. “I'm not against trying, though.”

“We'll have to take you sometime,” Yang said. “It's a ton of fun. We haven't gone in about five months, ish.”

“So, what I'm getting from this, is that you both love sports,” Blake said.

“Some sports,” Ruby corrected. “I'm big on track and cross-country. Yang does boxing and wrestling. Neither of us play more mainstream sports, though.”

Behind Ruby came another voice.

“Well, if you need anyone to cheer you on, I'm here.”

Penny Polendina sat down next to Ruby, who lit up the moment Penny had spoken.

“Good morning, Penny!” Ruby said, eagerly turning to face her.

“Good morning, Ruby,” Penny replied. “Is that healthy?”

She pointed to Ruby's hand, which had an extra large energy drink in it.

“Probably not,” Ruby admitted. “I'm low-key caffeine addicted.”

“Unfortunately, a lot of people in today's society are,” Blake said. “It's just another one of the many harmful byproducts of capitalism.”

For a moment, everyone was silent, and Blake worried she'd accidentally brought a rather politically opinionated topic to the table.

Then Yang grinned.

“It's really nice to see you speaking up more,” Yang said.

“More accurately, it's nice to see you speaking up when it's not just during an argument with Warren,” Ruby added. Blake looked down, a little embarrassed.

“Do I argue that much?” Blake asked.

“Well, maybe,” Yang said. “You're very opinionated, and honestly, I respect that.”

Blake breathed a sigh of relief.

“So, I don't really know Penny and you don't really know Blake,” Yang said to Ruby. “We need to hang out more, you both seem really cool.”

Penny cocked her head, awkwardly.

“You really think that I'm cool?” Penny asked.

“Totally,” Yang said. “I heard about your tryouts, Coach Goodwitch is a hard woman to impress, and apparently you totally blew her away. Plus, Ruby's been gushing about how great you are all week.”

Ruby blushed.

“Yang!” Ruby said, folding her arms. Yang smirked. “Oh, I've been gushing? You won't shut up about Blake.”

“Hey, that's completely untrue,” Yang said. “I just think she's a cool person.”

“I'm not used to people wanting to talk to me,” Blake admitted. “Usually, people think I'm too opinionated.”

“Don't worry about that with us,” Yang said. “Alright, uh, favorite movie?”

“I'd have to say _V for Vendetta_ ,” Blake said.

“Mine would be _The Iron Giant_ ,” Penny said. Ruby's eyes immediately welled up.

“That movie is so good!” Ruby exclaimed. “And so sad!”

“Both excellent choices,” Yang said. “I'd have to say _Terminator 2_ , I'm kind of a sucker for old sci-fi/action movies.”

“What about you, Ruby?” Penny asked.

“ _Spider-Man: Far From Home_ ,” Ruby said. “But honestly I like just about any _Spider-Man_ movie.”

“We'll agree to disagree about _The Amazing Spider-Man,_ ” Yang said.

“Okay, listen, it was darker, but it was still good!” Ruby said. “It was awesome!”

“I think I can get behind any of them except the old ones,” Blake smiled. “Tobey McGuire was a bit too campy.”

“Are you kidding?” Ruby exclaimed. “Those ones are amazing!”

“Honestly, Ruby, good luck finding anyone else that liked all three series',” Yang said. “Okay, how about TV shows?”

“Ooh, Penny first this time,” Ruby said.

“ _My Life as a Teenage Robot_ is easily my favorite TV show,” Penny replied.

“I don't really watch TV shows that much,” Blake admitted, as everyone turned to her, waiting. “I prefer to read.”

“Then what's your favorite book?” Yang asked.

“I could never choose just one,” Blake said.

“Alright, what about some that you like, then?” Yang asked.

“That's complicated. I read a lot of YA fiction for personal enjoyment, I'd say _The Hunger Games, Divergent, Artemis Fowl,_ and _Pendragon_ are a few favorites, but I also like _1984_ and _Fahrenheit 451_ for their overarching moral, but I also can't enjoy them as much due to a lot of racist and sexist undertones.”

“See, there we go,” Yang said.

“ _Artemis Fowl_ is so good!” Ruby said. “I've read the whole series, like, ten times.”

“I figured you'd be more of a _Harry Potter_ girl,” Yang said.

“I don't mind it,” Blake said. “But I'd honestly say it's a bit overrated, not to mention I have no respect for the author. Transphobia and antisemitism are really prevalent in her works, and like with _Fahrenheit_ and _1984_ , it makes it really hard to read. Anyway, Yang, Ruby, what are your favorite shows?”

“ _The Flash_ ,” Ruby said. “It's so good. I know you don't watch TV, but you gotta check it out.”

“If you can't tell, Ruby really likes her superhero stuff,” Yang smiled. “She even makes her own comics.”

“Really?” Blake asked. Ruby looked down, embarrassed.

“They're not amazing, and I know comics aren't as good as books, but-” Ruby began.

“No,” Blake interrupted. “Comics _are_ books. Novels and comics are two different ways to tell a story, but the way people tend to treat comics is really pretentious.”

Ruby looked up, surprised.

“You really don't think there's anything wrong with comics?” Ruby asked. “I just thought, with you being so into books...”

“I personally don't really read comics,” Blake clarified. “But that doesn't mean they're not a valid medium to tell a story through. To try to gatekeep books is really ableist and I don't support it. Comics, audiobooks, interactive stories, they all are constantly treated like something less intelligent. In actuality, each one is either a way to make books more accessible to people, a different style of storytelling, or both.”

Ruby smiled, sitting up once more.

“Well, my comics still aren't that good, but I do make my own,” Ruby said.

“That's really cool,” Blake smiled. “And I'm sure they're better than you think. We're all more critical of our own work. I write a lot, and I feel that way all the time.”

“You write?” Yang asked, raising an eyebrow. “What do you write?”

“Well,” Blake said, blushing slightly. “Mostly fanfic and queer romance. But, you never said your favorite show.”

“Oh,” Yang nodded. “ _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_. It's like _The Office_ , but, you know, funny.”

“It's also, like, the only comedy show on TV that isn't super _boring_ ,” Ruby said. “Dad watches so many sitcoms where nothing ever happens.”

As Ruby spoke, the bell rang, and everyone stood, reluctantly.

“Meet back up on break?” Yang asked.

“Yeah, library again?” Blake asked.

“Definitely,” Yang said.

* * *

“Check,” Weiss said, her head resting on her palm. It was Thursday, growing closer and closer to the weekend. Most were excited about this, but Weiss loathed it. She knew when the weekend got here, Winter would be returning to Atlas Academy and she would be left alone once more.

It felt remarkably bittersweet that one of the people she had thought would never tolerate her turned out to be the most accepting person she could find, and that not too long afterwards she would be leaving once more.

Weiss understood now why Winter had gone so specifically for a University several cities away, rather than Boise State University, which was local. The only thing Atlas offered that no local University did was that it was away from their father.

Weiss wondered if maybe she could follow in Winter's footsteps. Maybe when Winter left, she could go with, transfer to a high school there, and not have to worry about Jacques or Whitley's awful behavior except for on rare occasion.

She knew Jacques would never allow it, unfortunately. He had only let Winter give up her status as heiress because Jacques preferred to have his heir be male, and given that not only was Weiss in the closet, but it was unlikely Jacques would see her as female even if she did come out, he was unlikely to extend her the same leniency. No, Jacques wouldn't give her any option to back out. He'd been raising her since birth to be the perfect heir in every way. _Perfect grades. Perfect behavior. The perfect Schnee male appearance._ Weiss would have no option to truly be herself, not with all the constraints Jacques had placed on her.

“Damn,” Henry said, looking closely at the board. Then, with a grin, he moved his bishop, capturing Weiss' knight. Weiss began to think about her next move, eyeing the board carefully.

“Chess? Really?” a voice mocked from Weiss' side. “Wow, you nerds fit the stereotype.”

Weiss glanced over to see Cardin, backed by Sky Lark, Elm Ederne, and Russel Thrush.

“What brings you to a library?” Henry retorted. “I didn't think you could read.”

“That's probably why he's here,” Miltia said, from the next table over, where she was playing a chess game of her own with Melanie. “I bet he's lost. Couldn't read the sign.”

Cardin smirked as he sat at a nearby computer, propping his feet up on a nearby chair. Weiss cringed as he wiped the mud on his boots off on said chair.

“Coach wanted us to brush up on a few formations that won games in the past,” Russel said, scratching right next to his mohawk.

Elm, who was halfway through a can of soda, sat at one of the other computers.

“Hey, lay off, guys,” Elm said. “I'm curious, how's the chess game going?”

Henry and Weiss both only responded with scowls, knowing full well that Elm had no intentions of being sincere.

“It's an intellectual game,” Weiss said. “You'd get a headache trying to understand.”

“No, I mean it, I'm calling it now,” Elm said. “Game ends in a draw.”

She punctuated her sentence by throwing her soda, still half full, onto the board, scattering the pieces across the ground and coating Weiss, Henry, and the table in soda. They both stood up, livid.

“Nice one,” Sky said, leaning against a bookshelf.

“Yeah, _fantastic_ ,” Henry spat. “You really proved you'll peak in high school.”

“It'll be sad, really,” Melanie said. “You've each got maybe four years of college football before that dries up and you're left flipping burgers, while we'll be running fortune 500 companies.”

“Hate to break it to you, but my dad's also loaded,” Cardin said. “If everything goes right, I play pro football for years. If it doesn't, I'll get a nice job sitting on my ass.”

“And you won't have to suck dick to get there,” Sky added.

“I think you have us confused with cheerleaders,” Miltia said.

“Speaking of which, tell Dew I won't be able to hang with her tonight,” Henry said. “She'll just have to settle for you.”

Cardin stood, cracking his knuckled.

“Yeah, you're real funny, aren't you,” Cardin said. “You think she'd ever go for you?”

Weiss wanted nothing more than to just walk away from this whole argument. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, and it wouldn't be the last.

Fortunately, her pleas were answered when Mrs. Rumpole, the school's librarian _and_ finance/economics teacher, came around the corner.

“That's enough,” she sighed, stepping in between Cardin and Henry. “You don't have a library pass, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

“But-” Cardin began. Rumpole glared up at him. Rumpole was only about four feet, nine inches (144 centimeters), and yet somehow, Weiss would say the only staff member she had ever seen that rivaled her degree of intimidation was Ms. Salem. Cardin towered over Rumpole, but as she glared at him, he backed up slightly.

“Perhaps I worded my sentence wrong,” Mrs. Rumpole said. “I'll give you thirty seconds to be out of my library before I'll personally hand out detention slips. I hear you get enough of those, and you're off the team.”

“Fine. These losers aren't worth it, anyway,” Cardin said. “Come on, guys.”

“And all of _you_ ,” Mrs. Rumpole said. “I want this mess cleaned up.”

“We didn't make any of it,” Henry protested.

“Did I ask who made the mess?” Mrs. Rumpole said. Henry flinched back as she spoke.

“No,” Henry said.

“No, I didn't,” Mrs. Rumpole said. “You'll need a few things from the janitor's closet. I'll be right back with the permission slip to get said items. If it's still not cleaned up by the end of lunch, you'll have to wait to get to your classes until you're done.”

Weiss sighed as she walked away.

“We've got Lionheart next period, he doesn't really care about tardiness,” Henry said.

“I've got Port,” Melanie said. “So I'm in no hurry, either.”

“Speak for yourselves, I've got Salem,” Miltia said. “Last time someone was late to her class, she made them stand for the _entire period_ , and gave them a detention anyway.”

“Really?” Melanie scoffed. “Who was it?”

“Nora Valkyrie,” Miltia said. “I didn't know she could be scared until that day. Salem looked murderous.”

“Alright, point taken,” Henry said. “Warren and I can clean the table and the chairs. Melanie, take care of the mud Cardin got all over the computer chair. Miltia, you get a head start on cleaning the carpets, we'll help once we're done.”


	9. The Calm Before the Storm, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake takes it upon herself to try to improve conditions at Taylor High. Winter comes to Weiss' aid when she least expects it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for intense dysphoria, direct mentions of self harm, transphobia, bullying, mentions of domestic abuse (Adam is mentioned), and depression.

Blake wasn't particularly fond of Mr. Ironwood's math class, so she was more than happy to save some of the work for when she got home so that she could chat with May Marigold in class. It was Friday anyway, so she had plenty of time to work on it.

“You seem stressed, are you alright?” Blake asked, glancing over to her. “You seemed upset all throughout last period, too.”

“It's more of the same,” May sighed. “Robyn was there to talk to me about it, but basically, in English today, I was the center of attention, and not in any way I'd like to be.”

“Oh, no,” Blake said. “What happened?”

“Well, if you didn't already know, I'm trans,” May said. “And that class happened to have Cardin, Henry, Warren, and Octavia, none of whom are accepting of my community.”

Blake glared over to Warren, who was sitting to the front of the class, before looking back to May.

“Yeah, I caught onto that,” Blake said.

“And Lionheart doesn't give a damn what happens in his class as long as it looks like he's maintaining a little order, so he was useless. It's just... bothering me. I know I should be used to it by now, but I'm not. I'm trans, but there's more to me than that and it bothers me that no one seems to realize that.”

“If it helps, I know that,” Blake said.

“If it wasn't for Henry, no one would even know,” May sighed. “And Warren jumping in just makes it worse.”

“You've mentioned them both, it sounds like you all go way back,” Blake said.

“Well, obviously, Henry's my cousin,” May said. “Believe it or not, Warren, Henry, Elm, and I were once all friends.”

“Really?” Blake asked.

“Yeah, way back in elementary,” May said. “Henry and I went to junior high in a different city, and that's when I came out. I was disowned immediately, and kicked out. Luckily, I made it back to Boise, and that's when I met Robyn. She helped me get back on my feet and helped me start my transition.”

“I've been meaning to ask, if it's okay,” Blake said. “Are you and Robyn...”

“Dating?” May asked. “Yeah, that confuses most people. We are.”

“Why does it confuse most people?” Blake asked.

“Because I'm dating Joanna,” May said. “And Joanna's dating Fiona. And Fiona's dating Robyn. And Robyn's dating Joanna. And I'm dating Fiona.”

Blake's mind span as she tried to track May's sentence.

“We're poly,” May clarified. “Anyway, I didn't think I'd ever hear from Henry again, but when I started going here, he moved back and also went here.”

“That sucks,” Blake said. “I know the feeling. Constantly trying to get away from someone awful.”

May raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?” May asked.

Blake sighed, mentally preparing herself to talk.

“I'm not comfortable saying much,” Blake said. “But my ex-boyfriend was really toxic.”

“I'm so sorry,” May said.

“It's fine, I'm away from him now,” Blake said. “But he's tried to get back together and... he just won't take no for an answer.”

May folded her arms.

“If he tries again, just point me in his direction,” May said. “If I don't beat him up enough, either Joanna or Fiona will.”

Blake smiled slightly at that.

“Thank you,” Blake said. “I'm really sorry Henry won't just back off.”

“It's fine. Once I graduate, I won't have to deal with him anymore. He isn't going to stoop _so low_ as to go anywhere I would be. Which I'm perfectly happy with,” May said. “I just hate seeing that none of them changed. Well, Elm also hates them now, but aside from that.”

“So Warren's always been all... pretentious?” Blake asked.

“I can speak for myself,” Warren said, passing between their desks, on the way to grab one of the textbooks from the back of the classroom.

“Good to know,” May rolled her eyes. “We'll let you know if we ever want your two cents.”

“When you're talking about me, I think I'm entitled to-”

“Oh, you hear that?” Blake interrupted. “He's _entitled_. Well, at least you admit it.”

“I'll make you a deal,” May said. “You lay the hell off of me and I'll do the same for you.”

Warren scoffed, and continued off to grab his book, before returning to his desk.

“To answer your question, he's always been kinda pretentious,” May said. “But it was never this bad before. I went away for a few years and when I came back, he had ramped it up to eleven. Believe it or not, I think I broke him the first time I saw him again.”

“What do you mean?” Blake asked.

“Henry had been starting shit, as usual,” May said. “And the Malachite twins joined in. But I saw Warren's jaw hit the floor when he saw me.”

“Really?” Blake said, unable to keep from grinning along with May.

“I swear, it looked like he had a crush,” May said. “Once I pointed it out, he went into pretty much regular Warren territory. He also blushed hard when I pointed it out.”

“That's amazing,” Blake said. “Do you think that's why he's so pissy to you?”

“I think it's possible,” May said. “That being said, I wouldn't go near him with a ten foot pole.”

“I can't blame you,” Blake said. “Listen, I could try to get him to back off.”

“I mean, if you wanna try, be my guest. I don't see it going anywhere, though,” May said. “On top of that, I'm far from the only trans student he does this to. Jaune, Neon, and Fox are all openly trans, and he's just as bad to them. Honestly, he seems like he's worse to them.”

Blake frowned, wishing she knew a way to truly get Warren to stop. The more people she found out he was bullying, the more it pissed her off.

“I'll give it a shot, at least,” Blake said.

* * *

“Hey,” Blake said, as Warren walked past on the bus. “We need to talk.”

“Wonderful,” Warren rolled his eyes. “What's it about this time?”

“Look, you don't like me, and that's fine,” Blake said. “I honestly don't care. But what's your problem with the transgender students here?”

“I have no problem with them,” Warren snapped. “They are the ones that get offended when you tell them the truth.”

Blake took a deep breath, realizing this was going to be more frustrating than she thought.

“Okay, regardless of your opinions about them, harassing them isn't okay,” Blake said. “What will it take to get you to back off?”

“You act like I'm doing something wrong,” Warren said.

“All I'm asking is for you to just stop talking to them, or about them,” Blake said. “I'm not asking for much.”

Warren sighed.

“What it will take is them staying away from me,” he said.

“We're all packed into a school together,” Blake said. “That's not an option. Are you really too immature to exist around them peacefully?”

“Look,” Warren said. “If they want to pursue their... lifestyle, that's their right. But if they're in my face about it, I'm going to take issue with it.”

“When have I ever been in your face about it?” Jaune said from across the aisle.

Warren folded his arms, turning to face Jaune.

“You're constantly in my face about it,” Warren said. “You demand that I use certain pronouns for you, you demand that I use some made up name for you, you're constantly demanding that the rest of us take part in _your_ lunacy.”

“Because he isn't okay with you deadnaming him or misgendering him?” Blake scoffed. “He's not asking for a lot.”

“How would you like it if I was constantly using she/her pronouns for you?” Jaune asked.

“I'd be fine with that!” Warren said. “Call me whatever you want. I don't care in the slightest.”

“Okay, it doesn't bother you,” Blake said. “But it bothers him. And it really doesn't take much work to just be respectful.”

“Respect is earned,” Warren said. “And I'm certainly not going to participate in anyone else's delusions.”

“What did we ever do to you?” Jaune asked. “To make you this upset at us?”

Warren refused to give a direct answer.

“I'm done with this conversation,” Warren said. “It's clearly not going anywhere.”

“Because you refuse to listen to us,” Blake said.

“Why would I listen to either of you? Your entire argument has no basis in fact,” Warren retorted.

Before anyone could say more, Warren stormed off, sitting over by the Malachite twins. Blake sighed, rubbing her temples.

“I know it didn't go anywhere, but thanks for trying,” Jaune said. “It means a lot to have people like you around.”

“Of course,” Blake said. “I just wish I could get him to stop.”

* * *

Weiss hurried off of the bus, unable to believe she was actually looking forward to going home. She had been cringing through the whole conversation, desperately wishing she could have been honest.

It had taken all of her willpower to stay composed when Jaune had made that comment about her pronouns. It felt cruel, to be reminded of what she wanted so much, yet at the same time, she knew she deserved that. She was, after all, relentlessly bullying him most of the time.

“I really can't believe you,” Blake said, as the bus drove off. “Do you get some kind of sick satisfaction from being just absolutely discriminatory to anyone that isn't like you?”

Weiss turned to face her.

“I really have neither the time nor the desire to keep discussing this,” she replied.

“I'd be happy to drop it,” Blake said. “Stop treating people like that and I'll never get on your case about it, ever again. It's really not a difficult agreement.”

“You act like I owe you something,” Weiss said. “But I don't.”

“All I want from you is basic decency!” Blake snapped.

“I can't!” Weiss retorted, louder than she meant to. Blake stepped back, confused.

“What does that even mean?” Blake asked. Weiss froze. The mask had been slipping, starting to show her true self. She had almost admitted who she really wanted to be.

“You wouldn't understand,” Weiss spat. “Just leave me alone.”

Weiss stormed off before Blake could say anything else.

She hurried home, lost in thought. She didn't say much to Mr. Rainart as he let her in past the gate, and when she got to her room, she took great comfort in the opportunity to just sit without anyone bothering her, and just be out of everyone's view.

Or so she had hoped.

She had been sitting down for three minutes when someone knocked three times on the door. She wasn't as familiar with the knock. Jacques didn't knock at all, the way he treated her door was like any other in his house, _open to him_. It wasn't Whitley, his knock was quick and impatient. Klein always only knocked twice, and Willow never even came by in the first place.

By process of elimination, as Weiss stood, she knew this had to be Winter.

If anyone was bothering her right now, however, she was glad it was her.

She opened the door to find that her assumptions were correct. Winter stood in the doorway, her hands behind her back.

“Hello, Winter,” Weiss said. “Can I help you?”

“I was curious,” Winter said. “You've never gotten the chance to see the University. I was wondering if you wanted to come stay with me for the weekend, and I'd bring you back on Sunday.”

Weiss didn't miss a beat.

“Absolutely!” Weiss said. “Give me just a moment to pack an overnight bag.”

“Very well. I've cleared it with father, as well,” Winter said. “He emphasized that your homework still needs to be done, but aside from that, he was alright with it.”

Weiss smiled, turning to grab a few shirts and pack them into her backpack, and then she put her shoes back on.

* * *

“I knew I couldn't stop you for long,” Taiyang sighed, from the kitchen as he chopped vegetables.

“It's just paintball, we're not going into a warzone,” Yang said. “And I promise we'll get all our homework done tonight.”

“As long as you give it a decent effort,” Tai said. “I forgot how long Ms. Salem's assignments always were.”

“Wait,” Ruby said. “Did she teach while you were in high school?”

“That she did,” Tai said. “I think I passed her class with a C.”

“And she didn't go ballistic on you for that?” Yang scoffed.

“Oh, she did. She was awful to anyone that didn't pass with flying colors,” Taiyang said. “I know her requirements are hard to meet, so I'll just give you this. Average at least a seventy in her class, and I won't get on your case about it.”

“I'm just worried,” Ruby said. “If my grades are bad enough, I'm worried I'll be sent back to ninth grade.”

“If it gets to that point, I'll have a talk with Principal Ozpin,” Taiyang said. “You've worked your butt off and I'm not gonna let that get taken away just because of one strict teacher.”

“So... if we do enough... we can go to paintball?” Yang asked.

“Tomorrow,” Tai said. “But, yeah. Get a decent amount of homework done, and you can go.”

“Yes!” Ruby exclaimed. “Alright, let's get started, then.”

“Ugh, that's the worst part,” Yang groaned.

* * *

Winter's car was marble-white, and one of the cleanest cars Weiss had ever seen. The windshield was so clean it could have been invisible, there wasn't a single personal belonging inside. Anyone who didn't know Winter probably would have assumed she was renting the car.

It was a Schnee vehicle, obviously. Despite how much the entire vehicle just reeked of Schnee atmosphere, Weiss couldn't help but admire it. She wasn't a car person, but it was still a very elegant vehicle.

“I'm assuming you're grateful to be out of father's gaze for a few days,” Winter said, as she drove.

“You have no idea,” Weiss said.

“I think I'm one of the few people in the world that does,” Winter countered.

“Fair,” Weiss said. “I honestly don't know why you ever come back here.”

“I wouldn't if it wasn't for my sister,” Winter said.

It took her a moment to realize Winter was talking about her.

“I... I didn't think you cared that much,” Weiss said.

“Ciel has always been one of my closest friends. For the time that I got along with her, so was Ilia. But you've always been my best friend. If I'm being honest, you're the only member of my family that I actually see as family,” Winter said. “You'll always be my sister, Weiss.”

“Hearing my name actually get spoken... it's an amazing feeling,” Weiss said. “I never thought I'd actually feel this way. I still just hear _Warren this, Warren that_ all day long, it drives me crazy.”

“I hope you know, you can text me whenever you need if you're overwhelmed,” Winter said. “I'm not just here for you now.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I just... it feels amazing to let my guard down. To be called _Weiss_ , to be called _she_ , to be able to talk about all of this. But I always know in the back of my mind, soon I'll be back there again, and it'll all go away. I just want to be able to truly be myself. No more bullying everyone, no more _Warren_ , no more short hair, no more of this _voice_ , I want to get away from it all.”

“Well, I know right now it seems impossible,” Winter said. “But maybe eventually you will be able to.”

“How?” Weiss scoffed. “Father would never let me.”

“Have you ever considered that maybe you don't need him to let you?” Winter asked. “When you turn eighteen, he can't do anything to stop you from going out and living your life.”

Weiss sighed, looking down.

“I'm worried maybe he will be able to,” Weiss said. “I mean, I'm not just his son, I'm-”

“Daughter,” Winter corrected. “You're not his son and you've never been.”

Weiss considered her words, and then nodded.

“I never thought the word _daughter_ would ever apply to me, it feels... foreign,” Weiss said.

“Our parents may never call you their daughter, but it doesn't change anything,” Winter said. “You're their daughter.”

Weiss smiled a little.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “It means so much to me how quickly you accepted me.”

“I just wish I could've years ago,” Winter said. “You were saying...”

“Right,” Weiss said. “I'm not just his daughter, I'm the heir... heiress... to his company.”

“And?” Winter asked. “Ultimately that doesn't mean much. You could take over as the CEO, as he intends, and then run it as you please. He would have no say in what you did with it. If you didn't want to, then you could pass the position of heir down to Whitley.”

“I doubt father would agree to that,” Weiss sighed.

“He wouldn't have a say in it,” Winter said, as they turned onto the freeway and she sped up. “Your life is yours, and once you are an adult, he can't stop you from transitioning.”

Weiss nodded.

“I also just... I have no clue what I'd want to do,” she said. “I close my eyes and try to picture myself, and I _can't_. I know it's not how I look right now. But whenever I try to think of what I'd like to look like, the steps I'd want to take, it's so foggy. I can't make out any details.”

“Well, I can only advise so much,” Winter said. “I'm always here to support you, but being transgender is something I can't relate to. I would honestly say the most important step you could take would be making friends that _can_ relate.”

“I wish I could,” Weiss said. “Not even just for that reason. I miss May, so much. Every day I wish I could leave behind all of the 'friends' I have right now, and run to her. It doesn't help that in case my chances of being her friend weren't ruined enough, I'm running against her girlfriend for school president.”

“You're making the exact same mistakes I made,” Winter sighed. “You're giving father too much control. I was afraid to take control of my life. I coasted by, doing what he wanted, until I had a scholarship to Atlas, and I confronted him once. Then I left everything behind. I'm free now, but there are so many things I wish I'd done differently.”

“You think I should just... ignore father's requirements and try to befriend May anyways?” Weiss asked.

“I don't feel comfortable telling you that's what you _should_ do,” Winter said. “I just don't want you to have the regrets I do. And if I could go back and do something differently, it'd be how I treated Ilia. I'd change it in a heartbeat... if I could.”

“I'd like to,” Weiss argued. “I want that so much, but if father knew, he would be furious.”

Winter nodded, a sorrowful expression on her face.

“He has no right to tell you who you can and cannot befriend,” she said. “But I know he still does so. This is your decision, Weiss. I'll support you either way.”

Weiss nodded.

“On a different note,” Winter said. “I can't help you with every aspect of your transition, but I can help with others. If you really did want to see the University, I could show you, but I was planning on taking you shopping instead. I just couldn't say that back at the manor.”

Weiss' face lit up.

“Wait... really?” Weiss asked. “As in...”

“As in getting you your own clothes, makeup, and accessories,” Winter said. “You're sixteen years old and you've never been shopping for your own clothes, and that is a crime, one I intend to fix.”

“I've technically been shopping for clothes,” Weiss said.

“You've been shopping for what father wanted for you,” Winter said. “You deserve something with style, something with personality.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said, struggling to find words to express her gratitude. “I'll pay you back, I promise-”

“I'd rather you didn't,” Winter said. “There's something rather satisfying about the notion of using father's money to pay for parts of your transition. With it being my card, any receipts he saw, he would just assume the clothes were for me.”

Weiss felt like she was floating on a cloud of glee, far above Schnee manor.

“If you'd be willing, I'd like to add something else to this as well,” Winter said. “However, it's your right to say no. I'd like to have Ciel join us when we're done shopping, so that she can help you out with makeup. She has gotten incredibly proficient, and I'm sure she would be happy to teach you some techniques.”

“If I said yes,” Weiss said. “It would stay between us and her, right?”

“She's kept my secret for years,” Winter said. “I know she'll keep yours.”

“In that case, I'd really appreciate that,” Weiss said. “Out of curiosity, are you and Ciel...”

“Dating?” Winter chuckled. “No, we aren't. We're amazing friends, but that is all. Ciel's straight. On top of that, I've known her as a platonic friend for so long, I'd feel weird taking our relationship anywhere else.”

“Fair enough,” Weiss said. “Are you seeing anyone else?”

“Not at the moment,” Winter said. “Dating isn't at the top of my priority list.”

“That's understandable,” Weiss said.

“What about you? Is there anyone you've been interested in?” Winter asked.

“Not really,” Weiss said, guilt flowing through her mind as soon as she thought of her classmates. “I've pretty successfully alienated myself to just about anyone I'd be interested in.”

“Well, like I said, you won't be there forever,” Winter said. “On that note, if you're comfortable with sharing, what is your sexual orientation?”

“I'm not sure,” Weiss said. “I've been thinking about it lately. I don't think I'm interested in men, at all.”

Winter smiled.

“I can certainly understand that,” Winter said.

* * *

“I'd like to clarify a few things, before we go in,” Winter said, from the parking lot of the mall. “First, would you like me to refer to you as Weiss or Warren while we are out?”

Weiss considered the options. The idea of being referred to as Weiss felt very welcoming, but she couldn't help but worry about the obscure possibility of word making it back to Jacques. On top of that, she didn't want to be looked at strangely, she didn't want people glaring at her or treating her like she didn't belong.

“I think I'll stay in the closet for now,” Weiss said. “It's a bit too soon for me to be that open about it.”

“I understand,” Winter said. “Then I'd like to apologize in advance for calling you Warren and using he/him pronouns. A few other things, to make it a bit easier, I'd like to get your sizes. Let's start with your shoe size.”

“I'm a men's size six and a half,” Weiss said.

“In that case, you'll be an eight and a half in women's,” Winter said. “Alright, now I'm going to take a few measurements.”

Winter pulled out a tape measure and measured around Weiss' waist, around her chest, and her shoulder width.

“Do you just... keep a tape measure in here?” Weiss asked, as Winter measured.

“I got it specifically for this,” Winter said. “Alright, I have your size. My last question, what style are you hoping to get?”

“I... don't really know,” Weiss said. “I've never really been able to explore fashion.”

“That's fair,” Winter said. “Then let's start with color. Name four colors you'd like to wear.”

“I'd say light blue,” Weiss said. “I do enjoy like a silvery-grey. Dark blue. I also like white, but I know that's father's favorite color-”

“Don't think about him right now,” Winter said. “There's nothing wrong with liking something he does. Being free of father doesn't mean redesigning your whole look just to counter his. I think white is a great color on you.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “That means a lot.”

“Alright, you'll also want a color far from any of those, specifically to serve as an accent color,” Winter said. “I would recommend red with the colors you want.”

“I'll trust you on that,” Weiss said.

“I'll also give you a full disclosure,” Winter said. “For women, most shopping trips consist of finding a hundred things you like, fifty or so being available in your size if you're lucky, and five to ten of them actually fitting you well.”

“If they're my size, shouldn't they fit?” Weiss asked.

“Welcome to the frustrations of shopping as a woman,” Winter said. “A size ten could be just about anything. The sizing systems for women are drastically varying, and most of them extremely biased.”

Weiss nodded, her mind swimming as she tried to take in all of this information. They stepped out of the car, and Winter paused to add one more thing.

“Also, say goodbye to pockets,” Winter said.

“What?” Weiss scoffed. “I thought everyone's pants usually had pockets.”

“Usually, women's pants have the illusion of pockets,” Winter said. “But they are too small to actually hold anything.”

“You're joking,” Weiss said. “Listen, I know I'm inexperienced in fashion, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to fall for-”

Winter, to prove a point, tried to force her phone into her pocket. The phone stopped about an inch in, and Weiss could see the pocket strain, proving Winter wasn't just pretending.

Weiss' eyes went wide, alarmed.

“Most of women's fashion is designed to sell more product,” Winter said, as they walked. “That part specifically is to sell purses.”

“I feel like I just stepped into a whole different, far more complicated world,” Weiss said.

“Luckily, you've got a big sister to help you navigate,” Winter said, holding the door open for Weiss. “So, which should we start with, makeup or clothing?”

“I think makeup would be a good starting point,” Weiss said. Winter nodded. “Also... I do have one thing I'd like to look for, if we can.”

Winter raised an eyebrow, waiting for Weiss to explain.

“When it comes to shoes, I think I'd really like a pair of wedged boots,” Weiss said. “They've always stood out to me.”

“We can certainly look for some,” Winter beamed. “It's amazing to see you excited about something.”

Winter led the way to a nearby Sephora, where she guided Weiss around, putting together a large kit of a huge assortment of makeup.

Weiss hadn't thought it was particularly much, until they checked out and, much to her surprise, the total was several hundred dollars. Nearby shoppers watched in disbelief as Winter, unsurprised, swiped her card and then walked out, passing the makeup bag to Weiss.

“I think that should cover it for a while,” Winter said.

“I had no idea makeup was so expensive,” Weiss said.

“To be fair, we went for the more expensive brands,” Winter said. “Now it's time we get you some decent clothes.”

She started walking, taking Weiss all around the mall to one of the clothing stores Winter herself had always frequented.

They went around, finding an assortment of shirts, skirts, and pants that stood out to Weiss.

“Perfect,” Winter said, as they grabbed the sixth skirt.

“So, you said not all of them would fit,” Weiss said. “Are we going to be returning them if they don't?”

“Well, ideally we wouldn't be buying any that didn't fit,” Winter said. “That's what dressing rooms are for.”

Weiss looked over to the dressing rooms Winter was talking about, and panic rose in her mind.

“Wh- here?” Weiss asked. Winter nodded. “I... just don't want people thinking I'm a _freak_.”

Winter's expression immediately changed to one full of concern.

“You aren't,” Winter said. “There is nothing wrong with you, and if anyone tries to imply or say otherwise, they will be dealing with me.”

Winter towered menacingly above her as she spoke, driving home the impression that she was a guardian, like she was Weiss' bodyguard.

“I don't think they're likely to in the first place, however,” Winter said. “This store is one of the far more welcoming ones here. I wouldn't take you somewhere unsafe. I promise.”

Weiss nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Okay,” Weiss said, Winter's presence reassuring her.

Less than a minute later, Winter was talking to a fitting room attendant while Weiss waited anxiously, unable to keep still, and then she proceeded forward, and began trying on the massive heap of clothes.

It felt like she had been trying on clothes for hours, and by the time she was done, she only had two outfits' worth.

The first outfit was a white one-shoulder top with a blue snowflake on the front, with a pair of skinny jeans. The second was a grey pleated skirt, which paired well with a short-sleeved light blue shirt. Bringing both looks together was a white cropped jacket with full length sleeves and a red collar.

Shopping around several other stores, she was able to get a few more items to diversify her outfits, as well as a pair of pantyhose to pair with her skirts.

Once that had finished, Winter was eager to take her to the next store, one which sold an array of dresses. Weiss was nervous, but agreed to go with.

Finding one that spoke to Weiss was harder than she expected, however. There were way too many floral dresses, which Weiss was less than interested in. There were also a lot of darker ones, though their aesthetic probably would have fit Blake or Cinder a lot closer.

It took way too long, but eventually, Weiss saw one that stood out to her. It was pale, cut below the shoulders, with a knee length skirt and light blue, intricate patterns racing along the bottom. The look was brought together with a ribbon that tied around the waist.

She held her breath as Winter confirmed the measurements. Much to her surprise, the dress was her size.

After another uncomfortable moment getting a fitting room set aside, Weiss went to try it on. She was incredibly careful putting it on, making sure not to let any of it get torn. She pulled it to the right height, tied the ribbon, and then took in a deep breath. After a moment, she turned to the mirror-

And felt sick immediately. Her heart sunk, as dysphoria began to smother every thought she had. She had felt like this dress really fit her personality, it felt like it was right for her, but she could tell this clearly wasn't the case now. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the repulsive reflection in front of her, unable to keep herself from going through the list of everything wrong. Her shoulders felt way too wide, her legs hadn't been shaved, her figure was completely wrong.

After a horrified minute, she finally managed to look away, and carefully slid back out of the dress, her eyes squeezed tight to avoid letting herself cry.

 _What the hell is wrong with you_ , she thought. _You're hideous. Disgusting. How could you ever think you'd be as beautiful as Neon, May, or Penny? No wonder father was so disgusted with you._

She couldn't stop. Every thought started to spiral, sinking into a well of despair. She looked down, realizing she still had to get dressed.

Looking down caused two more extremely responses to flare up in her mind.

The first was when she saw her boxers, and immediately was reminded what was right underneath them. Her disgust amplified a hundredfold, she wanted to throw up. Revulsion tore at every part of her mind.

The second response was due to the pink marks going down her inner thigh. She could count twelve, many others having faded with time. It had been a few days, and she felt a growing compulsion to renew them.

It was definitely for the best that she didn't have the option to actually do so right now. She buried her face in her hands, feeling tears make it past her barrier.

It was all she could do to keep her mouth tightly closed, keeping noise from coming out. Bile crept at the back of her throat. Today had been going so much better, she can't believe she had actually been foolish enough to think she could feel okay. In a single moment, the illusion had been shattered.

 _Maybe I should just stick to being Warren_ , she thought. _Maybe I was never meant to be Weiss_.

But if that was the case, why did just thinking the name 'Warren' feel so wrong? It didn't just feel wrong, she could never put into words exactly what it was like. The closest she could say was that it was some combination of terrifying, repulsive, and agonizing. The thought of living the rest of her life as Warren gave her the same feeling of dread as she felt at the thought of being buried alive, the same feeling as the notion of being imprisoned for life for a crime she didn't commit. It was like the fear of being possessed, except instead of it being her mind that wasn't in her control, it was her life.

She never wanted to be seen again. She wanted to vanish off the face of the earth. Everything around her felt like it was just collapsing in on her, and she just wanted to let it bury her. If she could just crawl into a deep hole and give up, at this moment she knew she wouldn't hesitate to do so.

She didn't have the option of actually doing so, however, and as much as she hated the idea, she knew she'd have to go back into the store, back into the public's eye, out of the privacy she had.

She reluctantly put her clothes back on, wiping the tears off of her face.

She tried to ignore her revulsion as she checked the mirror to make sure it wasn't obvious she had been crying. She tried not to pay attention to her jawline, to her eyes, to her hair, to every little thing that made her desperately want to be anyone else.

With each controlled, long breath she took, she got a little bit of her composure come back to her. And after about thirty more seconds of building up the courage to do so, she pulled the latch of the door, braving the populated mall once more.

Winter, who had been waiting right outside, quickly moved towards her, concerned.

“You were in there for a while, is everything alright?” Winter asked.

“The dress wasn't a good fit,” Weiss said, her tone quiet and defeated.

“I'm sorry. Let's look around some more, I'm sure there will be something that fits better somewhere.”

“I'd rather just move on,” Weiss said.

“Are you sure? I'm pretty sure we can find something else,” Winter said.

“I'm sure,” Weiss said. “I'd like to just move on.”

“Very well,” Winter said. “You still need accessories, I'm thinking we get you some jewelry.”

Weiss nodded, wishing she could regain the excitement she had before. Winter's generosity still meant the world to her, and she wanted to show that, but she couldn't stop thinking of the reflection that _haunted_ her. She kept trying to tear her mind off of it, but the more she tried not to think about it, the worse it got.

Because of this, Winter guided her around, and Weiss just passively followed, not saying anything more than a simple 'yes' or 'no' when Winter asked her opinion. They ended up getting a silver necklace with a ruby centerpiece.

“We're almost done,” Winter said. “Just one more thing.”

As Winter spoke, she must have picked up on how Weiss was feeling, because she placed a hand on her shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. Weiss felt a little bit of the misery clouding her thoughts lift.

Winter then led her along, over to a shoestore, beelining for a very specific part of the store.

“Where are we going?” Weiss asked.

“Just follow me,” Winter smiled, leading her to a wall with easily around thirty different pairs of wedged boots. “Let me know if any of them really grab your attention.”

Weiss looked around, eventually picking up a white and sky blue pair, the color reminiscent of the dress.

“Those are a beautiful choice,” Winter said, looking through several boxes until she found a pair, size eight and a half. “Alright, try them on.”

Weiss slipped out of the dress shoes she normally wore, and slowly put on the left boot. It was uncomfortable, a little tight, but no more so than new shoes usually were. She then put on the right boot, and stood.

Her balance was a little off, but luckily, they weren't heels, so it wasn't a huge issue.

Winter was beaming at her, and Weiss felt more of her worries drift away, realizing just how much she truly wasn't alone.

“Those are perfect for you,” Winter smiled. “They will go beautifully with your outfits.”

Weiss' dysphoria, her anguish, hadn't gone away entirely, but it had certainly lightened, and she was more than willing to accept that small victory.

  
  



	10. The Calm Before the Storm Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss enjoys the last of her freedom before returning to the chaos of school. Yang digs up part of her past she may not be prepared to let go of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for dysphoria, mentions of abuse, a mock-combat scene, mentions of sexual content, neglect, and discussion related to possible kidnapping and murder. 
> 
> Sorry for the long wait between chapters, I had a bit of writer's block. Hopefully I'll be uploading regularly again here soon!

Winter Schnee's apartment was a one bedroom luxury suite, it was clean of even the smallest clutter, with high end furniture and an eighty-six inch 4k television covering the wall. It truly was still the apartment of a Schnee, even if Winter had wanted to distance herself from the family. Weiss also knew that no one could ever afford an apartment like this unless they had ludicrous amounts of money. Fortunately for Winter, she still had access to the family fortune, and Jacques allowed her to take a portion as allowance.

Weiss had already chosen a couch to be her favorite for her time here, which she was anxiously waiting on.

She hadn't seen Ciel Soleil in years, not since Winter had gone off to college. As she waited for her to get there, her mind couldn't help but worry about Ciel reacting poorly to her being trans. Winter had, with her permission, told her over the phone while inviting her over, and it seemed as though she had reacted well, but she still couldn't help but think maybe she misunderstood.

She knew she would find out soon enough, as someone knocked on the door, causing her to slightly jump.

Winter stood, and opened the door, letting Ciel in. She looked remarkably similar as last time Weiss had seen her, she had the same professional haircut, the same simplistic fashion style, and a very similar makeup layout.

“Hello,” Ciel said, giving a wave.

“Hi,” Weiss said, nervously.

“Allow me to officially reintroduce you,” Winter said, as she closed the door. “Ciel, this is my sister, Weiss. Weiss, Ciel.”

“It's wonderful to remake your acquaintance, Weiss,” Ciel said. “I feel that it is important to state that I don't judge you or see you any differently.”

Weiss looked up, relieved.

“That means a lot to me, thank you,” Weiss said.

“We'll need a few minutes to get your makeup ready,” Winter said, picking up the makeup bag. “You should go get dressed.”

Weiss nodded, shakily, and then grabbed one of the outfits. She stepped into the bathroom, trying to keep from panicking. She was excited for the opportunity to finally see what she was supposed to look like, and at the same time, terrified it would backfire like it had in the fitting room.

She put on her one shoulder top, her skirt, and her jacket, sliding the pantyhose on under the skirt.

Once everything was on, she reached out, her hand lingering on the doorknob.

Was she really ready for people to see her in an outfit that she liked?

She took a moment to keep herself from hyperventilating, fighting for control over her emotions. She forced herself to turn the knob, stepping back into the living room.

Ciel greeted her with a welcoming smile.

The process of applying the makeup was agonizingly uncomfortable. Weiss was trying as hard as she could to keep her eyes still, to prevent them from twitching and to prevent herself from flinching.

If anything could counter her stubborn reflexes, however, it was Ciel's remarkable skill.

It took a little over a half an hour, but eventually Ciel took a step back, smiling at her work. She helped Weiss up, and led her to a mirror.

Weiss stared at her reflection, and felt all ability to speak evaporate from her.

The cat eye was as perfect as Weiss ever could have hoped, the contouring was done flawlessly, the lipstick highlighted her lips remarkably. The balance had been perfect, it wasn't too much. The lipstick was a modest pink tone, which kept it from being too vibrant.

Weiss picked her jaw up off the floor, and struggled to form words.

“Th-thank you,” Weiss stammered. Ciel smiled, giving a very slight nod.

“I'm happy to help,” Ciel said. “And I'd love to teach you what I know.”

“Before that,” Winter said, from behind her. “You're missing two more things. First,” Winter stepped over to Weiss, putting the silver necklace on her, as Weiss kept still. Winter grinned. “I knew it would match. And, second.”

Winter handed Weiss the shoebox, and waited while Weiss put her boots on.

It felt so liberating, she finally felt like she reflected herself. She felt confidence in her appearance, she felt a small amount of self confidence in her body.

She hadn't felt that before, not once.

Weiss struggled to keep herself from crying and ruining all of Ciel's masterful work.

* * *

It was the best night of Weiss' life. They watched movies, they played board games like they used to, years ago. Weiss hadn't realized just how great it would feel to belong, to fit in. She felt accepted, she felt wanted as _her_. She never wanted the feeling to stop.

At one point in the night, she went into the bathroom, and once more took in her reflection.

A thought had crossed her mind earlier, and she had been slowly drifting to an answer.

 _It's not smart... it could easily backfire. Just one person sees this, and everyone might know_ , she thought.

_But... I really need this. I really need this for when things get bad, for when I need something to keep me sane..._

She took out her phone, and took a few pictures, keeping them for when she desperately needed a lifeline.

* * *

“Alright, we're doing four vs four,” Yang said, zipping up her heavy leather jacket. “We're red team for today.”

Ruby slipped on her paintball mask, and picked up her gloves.

“Here's the plan,” Ruby said, turning to the two other members of their team. “I have eyes on the sky. I've got the best aim, so I'll clear whoever they have in the sniper nest. As soon as the sniper's down, you three are gonna make your first move. Without aerial cover, they'll be at a disadvantage.”

The other two members of their team nodded. The, surprisingly taller, of the two, was Nora, who had eagerly accepted their offer to join them.

The shorter of the two, they hadn't seen before they'd already gotten all of their paintball armor on, so their identity was a complete mystery.

“Nora, you'll go around right. You've got our grenades, I want you to blow them out of cover.”

“You got it!” Nora nodded.

“You two, pick them off while they try to find new cover. I cover from the nest,” Ruby said.

“That's as good a plan as any,” Yang said. “Alright, everyone ready?”

Nora and the mystery member both nodded, and they headed out onto the field.

Ruby waited for the alarm bell to ring, signifying the beginning of the match, and then she ran to the side, getting into position. She wasn't moving to her team's sniper's nest, she had played enough to know that made you an immediate target.

She ran to the side, waiting for someone to appear in the nest across the map.

And, sure enough, she saw blue team's sniper immediately take position.

Ruby wasted no time lighting him up.

“Son of a bitch!” he yelled, from across the map.

“He's down! Taking position!” Ruby called, running for the sniper nest. She heard her allies moving in.

And then, across the map, she heard the first advantage the enemy team had.

They were too smart for this plan.

“Church is down, scatter!” a woman's voice called.

“Darn,” Ruby said, kneeling at the nest. She scanned the map, trying to locate the blue players.

Below, Nora managed to find one, and lobbed a grenade her way.

She couldn't believe the woman's reflexes, when she caught the grenade, and threw it back.

Ruby heard Nora grumbling as she walked off the map.

Yang charged forward, ending up between two of the blue players.

“Duck!” one of them called.

“There's a duck? Where!” the other asked. Yang quickly eliminated the first of the two, then rolled behind cover, narrowly avoiding being hit by the second. “Oh, you meant duck, like get down!”

“No shit,” the first grumbled, as he walked away.

Yang readied herself to wheel around and grab a second elimination, when the woman who had thrown back the grenade fired from across the map, and Yang was out.

“Caboose, move in!” she called, frustrated.

Before Caboose could move in, however, the mystery member of red team ran past him, eliminating him from the game.

“Am I out?” Caboose asked.

“Yeah, you're out!” Church said, from off the map.

“I'm trying to find her!” Ruby said. She kept scanning, then she realized... if she couldn't see her below-

Ruby spun around just in time to feel a paintball explode on her chest.

“Sorry, kid,” the woman in black paintball armor said, before running back down the ramp. Ruby sighed, walking off the battlefield. She had just made it off when the buzzer went off once more, ending the match.

“Red team wins,” the announcer said, bored.

“Wait, we did?” Ruby asked, spinning around. She saw the mystery member walking back, a cocky sway to their gait.

“Hell yeah!” Yang said, reaching out to high-five their mystery victor.

The masked player accepted the high-five, and then continued through back to the changing rooms without saying a word.

* * *

“Seems like things have finally been getting better at school,” Ilia said, on Blake's couch. She had her phone in hand, scrolling through Tumblr. Blake, on the other hand, was holding a Playstation-3 controller, half of her attention focused on _Dragon Age II_.

“What do you mean?” Blake asked.

“I mean, you don't look as lonely walking around,” Ilia said. “As much as I'd like to be your best friend there, being a year and a half older doesn't give me too many opportunities to actually see you. Last thing I want is you being a recluse.”

“Well, if it helps, I doubt my parents would let me,” Blake said. “That's the whole reason I'm even there.”

“And,” Ilia said, raising an eyebrow.

“And... despite how much I didn't wanna go, I've actually been enjoying... having more friends,” Blake said.

“There it is!” Ilia grinned. “I thought I'd never see the day. Well, only one question left to be asked.”

Blake sighed.

“Interrogate away,” Blake said, rolling her eyes.

“Have you thought about dating?” Ilia asked.

“Wh... what?” Blake asked.

“Dating,” Ilia said. “There's quite a bit of decent people at school. No pressure, of course. I don't date often. But if you were interested, now's a good opportunity.”

“I'm not sure,” Blake said. “I've been in two relationships in my life, and from those, I don't know if dating's really... my specialty.”

“Alright, listen,” Ilia said. “Adam was an asshole. That's not on you. You're far better off without him. And we both had a lot of issues. That doesn't mean we should just give up on dating entirely.”

“I know,” Blake said. “I understand all of that, consciously. Past experience is still... hard to ignore.”

“That's fair,” Ilia said. “And if you're legitimately just not interested in relationships, then by all means, don't have one. Just make sure you're not robbing yourself of something you may want because of two bad experiences.”

Blake nodded.

“I'll think about it,” Blake said. “For now, though, I'll consider having more than just one friend to be plenty of progress.”

* * *

Yang rubbed her shoulder, wincing, as they sat down in the garage.

“Damn, that stings,” she muttered, as Tai pulled a box down from a shelf.

“I thought you always took every precaution,” Tai said, mockingly.

“Okay, I did,” Yang said. “What I wasn't expecting was three shots to the same spot all at once.”

“I mean, we won,” Ruby said, opening up a box. She absentmindedly brushed a thick layer of dust off of the flaps, before turning back to Yang. “And as your team leader, I appreciate your sacrifice.”

Yang playfully stuck out her tongue at Ruby.

“I just can't believe that chick in the black armor was doing so well. She was carrying those idiots, most of the time it was just her against all of us,” Yang said, taking the box Tai held out.

“So why are we cleaning out the garage again?” Ruby asked, looking up.

“Because I'm getting a bike rack installed,” Tai said. “And I need all the clutter out of the way. Besides, any opportunity to go over all my college and high school stuff is one I'll gladly take.”

“If that's true, why are most of these boxes so dusty?” Yang coughed, as Ruby sneezed, almost as if to prove her point.

“I've been focused on other things,” he shrugged, before blowing the dust off of a different box and opening it up. “Oh, I forgot I had this!”

Yang raised an eyebrow as he pulled out a helmet, it was a dull silver cap with wings attached to the side. In his other hand was a hammer, made of foam and wood.

“Is that-” Yang scoffed.

“This is my Thor costume, from when we had our college Halloween party, during the first year. Qrow went as Hawkeye, who he still insisted was the best Avenger,” he laughed. “That was a blast.”

“I thought you were a jock growing up, not a mega-dork,” Yang said.

“I take pride in having been both,” Tai said.

“What are these?” Ruby asked holding up several old cards.

“Oh, those are Magic,” Tai said. “Qrow and Summer were both all over the game, so they got me into it.”

“And are these...” Ruby began, holding up old books and a bag of dice.

“Yup. We used to play second edition, back when we were sophomores. Qrow was the DM, of course, you know how theatrical he gets,” Tai said. “I was always either our barbarian or our monk. James was our wizard.”

“James?” Yang asked.

“Oh, yeah, back in high school we were friends with Mr. Ironwood. He was actually there for the costume party, too. He was Iron Man.”

“Wow, I seriously underestimated how much of a geek you were back then,” Yang smirked. “How did you not get beaten up?”

“Come on,” Tai laughed. “A few people tried. It didn't last long.”

“Did mom play?” Ruby asked, flipping through the books, trying not to cough.

“Yeah, she was usually our cleric,” Tai said. “And then Glynda was usually our sorcerer.”

“Glynda Goodwitch? No way,” Yang said.

“You didn't hear that,” Tai added. “I don't need you knuckleheads getting in trouble for asking her about her dungeons and dragons stories during class.”

“Jaune's been running a game, I've actually been thinking about joining,” Ruby said.

“You'd have a world of fun,” Tai said. “Oh, no way!”

Yang saw him procure several game cartridges from the box he was digging through.

“I thought I lost these,” he said. “Mortal Kombat 64, Wipeout, Ice Climber, Dr. Mario!”

“It'll be a miracle if any of those still work,” Ruby said. “I still can't believe the NES is still running.”

“Not every game console needs to have a bunch of bells and whistles,” Tai said. “I forgot I even had Final Fantasy.”

“What do you mean? You play Final Fantasy 7 all the time,” Yang said.

“No,” Tai said, and then held up a cartridge. “Final Fantasy. The first one.”

“You're so old,” Yang said. “This box just had a bunch of action figures.”

“That can go over there,” Tai said, pointing to their 'keep' pile. Yang nodded, and took a new box, opening it.

“Old magazines?” Yang asked. Tai quickly looked up, and pulled the box from her hands.

“I can take that one,” he said. “That's not important.”

Yang laughed, watching him blush slightly.

“Fair enough,” she said. “I wouldn't want you looking through mine either.”

“Not funny,” he said. “Here.”

He handed her a different box.

“It's so weird, it's like the 80's threw up in every box,” Ruby said.

“Maybe that's because I grew up in the 80's,” Tai said.

“Sure,” Ruby said, jokingly.

Yang opened the box, and her eyes went wide. The first thing in the box was a picture, an old photo. Tai, Qrow, and Summer were in it, sitting around a tree. Qrow's hair was still jet-black, and he was clean shaven. Tai looked pretty similar to how he did now, and Yang could easily see what so many relatives always said, that Ruby was the spitting image of her mother.

But what caught her attention was the fourth person in the picture.

She'd seen pictures of Raven Branwen before, but usually only briefly, and she had always just been rushed on to keep from lingering on it.

In some ways, Raven looked very similar to her.

Raven was pale, to a degree Yang had only seen in one other person, Warren Schnee. Raven's eyes were a reddish brown, and she had a mane of hair very similar to Yang's, except it was much darker, the same color as Qrow's.

In this picture, she wore a maroon jacket, and was leaning against the tree.

Yang could tell by her makeup that she was the goth of that social circle.

She glanced up, and saw Tai and Ruby going through a box of old board games. While they were distracted, Yang slipped the picture into the pocket of her jacket, not ready to rush on from this just yet. She looked back down, and saw a scrapbook in the same box.

She started to look through it, seeing pictures of Taiyang as a young child, getting a little older from each group of pictures to the next.

Then, a series of pictures of him with Qrow, probably around twelve years old, at an arcade.

Tai with presumably his first girlfriend, a cheerleader Yang didn't recognize.

Then, several missing slots. She could see the marks from where the pictures had been, but they were gone. This went on for several pages, with the occasional picture still being present. Usually they were pictures of Tai, Qrow, and Summer bowling, playing some sport, or even a few of them playing dungeons and dragons with Ironwood and Glynda.

And then she, nearing the end, got to the first picture of Raven that was in the scrapbook.

Raven was in a hospital bed, holding a baby.

If Yang hadn't known any better, she would have thought that the picture looked like any family's would have.

Raven was smiling down at newborn Yang, exhausted, but she still looked _happy_.

Tai was still distracted, so she plucked that photograph out as well, and pocketed it. She could apologize later, but she wanted to be able to actually know what Raven looked like, to know _who_ she was.

The rest of the scrapbook didn't offer much more information, most of the rest of it was pictures of herself, as an infant, many of the pictures also featuring Summer Rose.

She felt the urge to take one of the pictures of Summer, as her heart ached.

She remembered Summer.

She remembered her cookies, she remembered being picked up from daycare, she remembered how amazing of a parent Summer had been.

And then she was gone, too.

Yang wiped tears from her eyes, resisting the urge to take one. The pictures of Raven, she felt entitled to, but she knew Ruby had more of an entitlement to these ones.

“Yang?” Ruby asked, having seen her wiping her eyes.

Yang looked up, trying to pretend she hadn't been crying.

“Yeah?” she asked, surprised by how much her voice wavered.

“What is it?” Ruby asked, concerned.

Tai, however, saw the scrapbook in the box, and immediately realized what she had seen.

“I... should have labeled that one, I'm sorry,” Tai said. “I can take that one.”

Yang nodded, handing it back.

He closed the box, setting it in the 'keep' pile, and then turned his full attention to her.

“The missing pictures,” Yang said. “They were the ones that had her, weren't they?”

“Yeah,” Tai sighed. “After she left, I... I was angry, and hurt, and I got rid of them.”

Yang nodded.

“I just wish... I just wish I had a chance to talk to her, even just once,” Yang said.

“I wish that, too,” Tai said. “I'm sorry, Yang. It's not fair that she wasn't there for you.”

Yang buried her head in her hands, a storm of emotions brewing.

“And you don't know where she went?” Yang asked.

“I know she had been talking about going to Montana,” he said. “But when she left, I tried to see where she went. She wasn't in any of the places she'd talked about before.”

“Do you think she's still... alive?” Yang asked. “Or did something happen to her?”

“I'm not fully sure,” Tai said. “But I know she was capable. Qrow and Raven were raised in some tough conditions, and she always had a weapon on her. On top of that, she just... always struggled with commitment.”

“So... she probably just... left,” Yang sighed.

“That's what seems most likely,” Tai said.

Yang nodded again.

“I'm gonna go shower,” Yang said, standing up. “I'm covered in dust and paint and I need a minute.”

Tai nodded.

“Alright,” he said.

* * *

Ruby couldn't help but notice as she and Yang were walking to school, Monday morning, that Yang seemed distracted. She hadn't said anything all morning, except to thank Tai for breakfast.

All of Sunday had been spent doing yard work with Tai, and Yang had been at the mall, working a shift at Jamba, so the last time Ruby had held a decent length of conversation with her had been Saturday afternoon.

Ruby didn't need to be a genius to know what was going on. She was determined to break Yang's silence that morning.

“You really are the best sister anyone could ever ask for,” Ruby said. Yang looked up, raising an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean, you were practically my mother growing up,” Ruby said. “You took care of me for years, even when dad didn't. You've always believed in me, and it means the world to me that you're such a supportive older sister.”

“Thanks,” Yang said, slightly confused.

“Where I'm going with this is, you've always been here for me, and now I wanna be here for you,” Ruby said. “I can tell those pictures of your mom really-”

“She's not my mom,” Yang interrupted. “Summer Rose was my mom. Raven was never there.”

Ruby nodded.

“Alright,” Ruby said. “Then, I can tell those pictures of Raven really got to you.”

“You don't have to take care of me, Ruby,” Yang said.

“And you didn't have to take care of me,” Ruby argued. “But you did.”

Several seconds passed before Yang spoke.

“I just wanna know what happened,” Yang said. “I know dad said she probably ran off. But in the picture of me, as a baby, she seemed... I don't know... happy?”

“You think something else happened?” Ruby asked.

“I don't know,” Yang said, frustration rising in her voice. “I don't know, I don't have any way of knowing, and I never will!”

Another several seconds passed in silence. Ruby's heart sank, as she tried to think of the words to pull Yang from the spiral she was in.

“You don't know that,” Ruby said. “You're smart, even if people always underestimate you. I know there's an answer somewhere, there has to be. And if anyone can find it, I know you can.”

“I don't even know if I want to know,” Yang said. “I mean, what are the options? Either she really did abandon me, just left me to fend for myself, or... something really bad happened. Like something from one of those crime shows, you know?”

Ruby winced at the thought.

“If she didn't leave me willingly then what happened to her? Was she murdered?” Yang asked. “Or... worse?”

“If you want to know, I know you can find out,” Ruby said. “But if not... just remember you do have family here to lean on. I know this is hard. Maybe not in the same way, but I know what it's like to miss a parent, even to feel abandoned by them. I know dad can be... distant... but I can take care of you, too.”

Yang sighed.

“I appreciate the offer,” Yang said. “But I can handle it.”

As she spoke, they neared the school.

Ruby sighed, as she saw Warren and Blake get off the bus, bickering as usual.

“Hey, Blake!” Ruby called, hoping to give Blake an excuse to walk away from the argument.

“Go on, run along now,” Warren snapped, as Yang and Ruby walked up.

“Gladly,” Blake seethed, as Warren walked off towards the school.

“More of the same?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah,” Blake said, irritated. “Friday it was trans rights, this time it was immigrants. It's always something, and he can't just keep his conservative mouth shut.”

“Yeesh,” Ruby said. “How about you hang out with us, then?”

Blake nodded, as they walked up to the school.

“I just hope my day gets better,” she sighed.


	11. Tempest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang are all thrown into chaos when their personal lives begin to fall out of control. Ruby and Weiss try to take a stand, Blake is haunted by her past, and Yang prepares to search for answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for heavy transphobia, drugs, mentions of domestic abuse, gaslighting and manipulation, homophobia, abandonment and neglect related topics, and mentions of intense child abuse.

Weiss wanted nothing more than to stay with Winter when the weekend came to a close, but such an option wasn't available.

She begrudgingly went home, leaving behind the makeup, the clothing, the freedom she was given.

As much as she had wanted to just sulk on her own, Melanie and Miltia wouldn't have it, and wasted no time bringing their usual hateful discussions to her and wrapping her up in them.

Luckily, Ruby had, in a manner of speaking, come to her rescue when she had been confronted by Blake. Sure, Blake had clearly been the one Ruby had been trying to help, but Weiss was happy to take the excuse to leave the topic behind and move on.

Instead, she focused her time to walking around, putting up the posters she had printed off last night, reading, in bold alabaster letters, _'Warren Schnee for class president.'_

Much to her surprise, she wasn't the only one working on their campaign today, and it culminated into an awkward interaction as she struggled to outclass her opponent.

“Should've figured you'd be doing the same,” Robyn Hill said, while tacking her own poster to the wall right next to the school's main entrance.

“Robyn Hill,” Weiss said, mustering up as much douchey pomp as she could. “I'm still surprised you're running for this position.”

“Oh?” Robyn asked, as May handed her the next poster, a disapproving stare placed on Weiss. “And why is it so surprising?”

“Well, there's a myriad of factors,” Weiss said. “For one, the position requires a certain degree of funding I doubt you have access to, and on top of that, I thought you hated anyone in charge.”

“Funding isn't an issue,” she remarked. “Every now and then, people do manage to get somewhere in life without buying their way in.”

“Not that you'd know,” May muttered, shaking her head.

“Yes, I see, you're having your lackeys pick up the slack. Tell me, are they running for the position as well? I don't see their names on your campaign poster, but I guess the school requires legal names, rather than... made up ones,” Weiss said, snidely, as she finished hanging up a poster.

“My name's not real, that's original,” May said. “You should copyright that before someone takes it.”

Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Listen, Robyn,” Weiss said. “This election won't even be a competition. I have superior funding, I'm far more respected here, and I have the backing of the staff whereas you tend to talk back to them. I'd recommend you save yourself the effort, embarrassment, and investment of competing any further.”

“You're respected here?” May snorted.

“May,” Robyn said, urging her to back off. “I'd like to keep this polite and professional. So I'll kindly say, with a smile, that I can't be intimidated out of running.”

Weiss began to hang her last poster.

“Do you know what the difference is between your ability to lead and Cardin Winchester's?” Weiss asked. “You're both far from competent enough for the position, but at least people will _listen_ to Cardin. Aside from your girlfriends... and your merry man, who follows you?”

“You don't even see it, do you?” Robyn asked. “The way you speak to people, just the way you've talked about May in the past two minutes... that's why you'll lose. Aside from Henry, Melanie, and Miltia, no one follows you, either. And between my supporters and yours, mine _help people_.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Weiss said. “I'll apologize in advance for any... disagreement... that comes from this campaign.”

Robyn rolled her eyes.

“Try it,” May said, as they walked away. Weiss turned and walked in the other direction, burying more guilt.

* * *

Yang listened to Oobleck drone on, ranting at this point about the Battle of Yorktown, frustrated by a combination of Cardin Winchester flicking paper footballs at the back of Penny's head and May bickering with Melanie.

She had absolutely no energy for the chaotic nature of the school, but that hadn't ever stopped it before.

She still couldn't stop thinking about the pictures of Raven. Tai had gone looking for her, but he hadn't called the police, he hadn't had a professional look into what could have happened.

She couldn't shake the feeling that maybe something truly awful had happened to her, that it definitely seemed more plausible than Raven just leaving her behind. She knew what she had seen in that picture.

That wasn't the face of someone who would leave their child behind.

Ruby's words echoed through her mind, too.

Could she actually find her mother?

No one else was about to try to find her. If she wanted answers, she would have to look herself or hire an investigator at this point, and she didn't know how likely an investigator was to look into a case that's been cold for sixteen years.

Could she even hire one as a teenager? Even if she _legally_ could, and one would be willing to accept her as a client, could she afford it on a part time minimum wage check?

She sure as hell didn't like the idea of waiting two more years to find out what happened.

She'd never been the Nancy Drew type, but the longer she just sat, trying to focus on school, the more she wanted to look into this herself.

When the bell rang and she stood, she realized her second conundrum. She had no idea where to start looking. As Warren had so tactfully put it, most of her skills were oriented around physical feats. The only thing she could think of was to look at news headlines from the time Raven vanished, and maybe ask Tai, Qrow, Glynda, and Ironwood if they'd picked up on anything unusual from around that time.

It wasn't a guarantee of anything, but at the very least, it was a start.

* * *

Out of all the classes Weiss had, there was one she loathed above all else. P. E. had just about every downside she could think of, all rolled into one. To start, Coach Theodore was a noisy, obnoxious, overgrown jock and it showed in his every action.

Making matters worse, she shared that class with Cardin, one of Theodore's favorite students, who could do little wrong in his eyes. Melanie, Miltia, Yang, Neon, and Pyrrha all also attended, so on the days where the class wasn't split by gender, she also had to contend with that volatile mix that she had no chance of avoiding.

Now, if it was just for all of that, P. E. wouldn't stand out as bad, it would just be one of her worse classes. She had plenty of other classes she disliked the teachers of, and also shared with several people she would rather avoid.

But no other classes expected her to undress, surrounded by irritating boys that had no concept of boundaries.

Very little felt as uncomfortable for her as changing in the locker room. She didn't like how she looked normally, but having to expose even more caused her dysphoria to skyrocket. It certainly didn't help that the room also smelled like a rancid pile of dirty clothes, bathed in sweat and left to marinate in a pile of rotten eggs, with the slightest hint of chlorine.

If it was up to her, she would never attend this class ever again.

The only silver lining was that movies had clearly been inaccurate to her experience, as students didn't have a communal shower. Four stalls in the back of the locker room could be used for showering, though few students actually took up their offer.

“Hey, Flynt!” Dove smirked, while Flynt opened his locker. “Outta curiosity, do you take it up the ass?”

Cardin laughed, and Flynt rolled his eyes, not giving a response.

“Come on, sourpuss,” Cardin said. “I thought you wanted to be included.”

Weiss sighed, changing as quickly as she could. Mercury, from the next locker over, grabbed his gym uniform and, as per usual, went over to one of the shower stalls to change in private. Weiss was grateful that a majority of the students were quieter, like Ren and Jaune, who seemed just as eager to get out of here as she was.

“Hey, Merc,” Cardin chuckled, turning his attention off of Flynt. Mercury didn't reply, as he closed the stall door. “Why do you always change in there? Scared of getting seen in your undies?”

“Fuck off,” Mercury said from the other side.

“Someone sounds sensitive,” Dove sneered.

“Yeah, come on, we're all guys. Well, all of us but Arc, anyway,” Cardin smirked. Jaune glared back at him, while putting his gym top over his undershirt. “Do you think you're better than us or something?”

“I thought you were a tough guy,” Dove chuckled. “But you're too scared to change without a stall.”

“I bet he has a third nipple or something,” One of the other jocks said.

“What's your deal, man?” Cardin asked, as Mercury opened the door, now in his gym clothes.

Mercury crossed his arms, glaring up into Cardin's eyes.

“What's it to you?” Mercury spat back. “You're in a hell of a rush to see me change.”

For the first time this period, Flynt laughed. Cardin, on the other hand, wasn't happy with that.

Cardin grabbed Mercury by the collar, about to deliver a comeback, when they both froze. Cardin had stopped the moment his hand had grazed Mercury's shoulder.

“Let go of me, freak!” Mercury snapped, trying to shove Cardin away.

Cardin pulled his shirt up, while Dove held Mercury still. The shirt came free, and Weiss' heart sank the moment she realized what Cardin had felt.

She knew a binder when she saw one.

“Dude's wearing a bra!” Cardin laughed, as Mercury fell back.

“What the fuck?” Dove asked.

“Hey everyone!” Cardin called, grabbing Mercury's binder from the back and yanking. Mercury struggled against him, but after a moment, Cardin pulled away, Mercury's binder coming with him.

Dove's grip on Mercury was loosened when Mercury, now panicking, punched him square in the nose, and before Weiss knew what happened, Mercury was back in the stall.

“Mercury's got tits!” Cardin jeered. “Merc's a chick!”

“Shut up!” Mercury spat from the stall.

“That's not funny,” Jaune said. Cardin turned to face him, still laughing.

“Hey, I'm not complaining,” Cardin said, throwing the binder across the locker room. “I've always wanted a few ladies in the locker room.”

Dove and Cardin continued their jokes, as they walked out of the locker room. Most of the students funneled out, while Weiss was still changing, her mind still processing the recent events.

“I'll find your binder,” Jaune said, as he began to look.

“Just leave me the fuck alone,” Mercury snapped.

“I can-” Jaune began.

“I don't need your sympathy,” Mercury spat. Jaune sighed, and followed Ren out, leaving Weiss and Mercury in the room.

She had made a lot of mistakes in the past, but maybe, just maybe, she could do the right thing here.

She grabbed his binder off the ground, and then grabbed his shirt from where Cardin had left it.

“Everyone else is gone,” she said, and held both garments under the gap of the stall door.

Mercury immediately snatched them from her hand, and she could hear him getting dressed while she sat down on one of the locker benches.

“I said I didn't need anyone's sympathy,” Mercury said, before he opened the stall door. “Especially not yours. What is this, some kind of trick?”

“No, I just...” Weiss said. “I just wanted to help.”

“Yeah, real helpful,” Mercury said. “Why do you even care anyway?”

“Because that wasn't right,” Weiss said, beginning to worry that her carefully constructed mask was beginning to shatter away.

“And suddenly that means something to you?” Mercury scoffed. “I'm surprised you weren't helping him. Now I'm supposed to trust you?”

“Trust whoever you want,” Weiss sighed, standing up. “I did you a favor, let's just leave it at that.”

She walked over to the door, hoping no one else had realized what she was doing. Mercury, still by the stall door, didn't say anything until the moment her hand touched the door handle.

“How long?” he asked.

Weiss froze in her steps, making sure she had heard him correctly.

“What?” Weiss asked, turning back to face him.

“How long have you known?” Mercury asked.

“About you? I didn't know until just now,” Weiss asked.

“No,” Mercury said. “Stop playing dumb. How long have you known you were different?”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss asked, panic beginning to flood her mind.

“I mean, you helped me,” Mercury said. “The only other person who tried was Jaune. And now that I think about it, whenever anyone calls you 'Warren' or 'he', you look like you were force fed a sour lemon.”

“You think I'm transgender?” Weiss scoffed, feigning confusion. “You just said it yourself, I'm just like Cardin, right?”

“No,” Mercury said. “You've got some shitty views, or at least you act like you do. And that's weird, too. Cause every time you go on one of your rants, Henry and the twins are having a blast, but your heart's never been in it.”

Weiss crossed her arms, becoming more and more aware that she probably wasn't going to deceive him.

“You're not acting like this because you hate us,” Mercury said. “Are you?”

Weiss scanned around the room, making sure no one else was here, before sitting back down, several feet away from Mercury.

“Is it that obvious?” Weiss asked.

“Not to cis people,” Mercury said. “You don't have to worry about any of them figuring it out.”

“Right, not unless you tell them,” Weiss said.

“For one, no one would believe me even if I did,” Mercury said. “And on top of that, I wouldn't do that. I'm not one of your gossip rats.”

Weiss sighed.

“I never wanted to be like this,” Weiss said.

“Why would you? Being trans sucks,” Mercury said. “It's a hundred nightmares all compacted into one, and-”

“No,” Weiss said. “I never wanted to be a _Schnee._ I never wanted to be discriminatory like this, I never wanted to be like Henry.”

Mercury let out a half laugh, half scoff.

“Then fucking stop,” Mercury said. “Because if you think you hate it, let me tell you, the rest of us hate it so much more.”

“I want to,” Weiss said.

“Not enough,” Mercury said. “What is it, what's keeping you up on that high horse? Is it popularity?”

“It has nothing to do with popularity!” Weiss snapped. “It has to do with my father and his unreasonable expectations. He just wants me to be like him, in every single way, and if I let him down he is perfectly willing to get physically violent!”

Mercury sighed.

“That's rough,” Mercury said. “And I'm sorry, that sucks. But that's no excuse. You think my old man's kind about who I am? Every day I go home to a beating. Last night he tried to give me a black eye, night before he put out his cigar on my shoulder. And despite all of that, I don't stab my community in the back.”

Weiss was stunned, and every attempt to find words was met with shocked silence.

“This isn't a rare thing, either,” Mercury said. “I know for a fact you know how May's family treated her. Coco lives with her aunt because her parents disowned her when she came out. Flynt's been attacked three times since coming out. Hide all you want, but stop using all of us as your shield to do it.”

“Like I said, I want to,” Weiss said. “I wish I was strong enough to be out, like you. I wish I wasn't so scared of my father, I-”

“You're not listening,” Mercury said, standing back up. “You don't have to be out. Not until you're ready. That's your choice, not anyone else's. But we don't deserve to keep taking shit from you so you can blend in.”

Weiss went quiet once more.

“I've gotta get back out there,” Mercury said. “No matter what I'll face. Can you do the same?”

Without waiting for an answer, Mercury left the locker room, leaving Weiss to her thoughts.

* * *

Blake usually spent her lunch in the library, but today the weather had been relatively nice and she hadn't wanted to run into Warren, who also spent his lunch in the library, so she took her book with and went outside, finding a bench out of the way of the football field. She was surprised how easy it was for her to relax, despite the gentle wind blowing her hair into her face every thirty seconds.

She had been tense all day, due to her morning argument with Warren, and if it was up to her, she would just avoid him entirely.

She still didn't understand why someone as wealthy as him was using the bus to get to school. If he didn't, she would be able to just spend the mornings in relative peace, which she would give anything for.

She knew she'd at least take the small victory of a peaceful lunch.

At least, until she picked up on a familiar voice, halfway through the lunch period.

“Double?” a masculine voice said. “Yeah, it'd be one-twenty.”

“Ugh, I could get this much for a hundred somewhere else,” Nebula said.

Blake looked up from her book, her blood having gone cold at the masculine voice. About thirty feet away, right by the treeline near the school's property, Nebula was handing several bills to Adam Taurus, who was wearing his signature black hoodie.

“Yeah, well, dealing here's risky,” Adam said. “So I charge extra.”

“You're lucky your shit's good quality,” Nebula said, looking through a clear plastic bag, with several white pills inside.

“Alright, if you need me again, get ahold of Junior,” Adam said. “Don't use it all at once.”

Nebula turned and walked off, and Adam began to leave, as he looked up.

And he and Blake made eye contact, for a long moment.

“What are you doing here?” Blake asked, standing up. Her hands trembled, her legs felt like jelly.

“Just business,” Adam said, stepping closer. “Didn't expect you here, thought your parents wanted you homeschooled.”

Blake stepped back, her heart racing.

“They changed their minds,” Blake said.

“I'm actually glad you're here,” Adam said. “I've been thinking, and breaking up with you was the biggest mistake I've-”

“Adam,” Blake said, her mouth going dry. “We're done. I'm not changing my mind about that.”

“Listen, I know things got a little out of control,” Adam began.

“Hey, is this guy bothering you?” another familiar voice asked, from behind Blake. She turned back to see Sun Wukong, who was picking up a frisbee a few feet back.

“Who's this?” Adam asked.

“Uh, I'm her boyfriend, dude,” Sun said, throwing an arm around Blake's shoulder. “Who are you?”

Adam glared back and forth between the two of them, before turning away. Within a few seconds, he was off school property, and Blake sat back down, shaking.

“Thank you,” Blake said.

“No prob,” Sun said. “But seriously, who was that creep?”

“My ex,” Blake said. “I just... I didn't think I'd see him here.”

“I've seen him from time to time, mainly sells adderall, xanax, norco, and oxy to whoever's willing to pay,” Sun said.

“Good for him,” Blake said, rolling her eyes. “How do you know what he sells?”

“I talk to, like, everyone,” Sun said. “Anyway, if he tries anything, give me a holler.”

Blake nodded, taking a deep breath to try to calm herself down.

“I just... didn't expect to see him here,” Blake said.

* * *

Ms. Salem's class had been one of the most painful classes Ruby had ever been through. After listing out the grades again, she had singled out Ruby, who had tied with Jaune for the lowest grade in the class.

“I really do hope that my memory is more reliable than it seems,” Salem said. “Because it very much looks to me like you both managed to somehow get fifty-four percent _each_. And I do remember making it crystal clear that such failure wouldn't be tolerated in my class.”

“I'm sorry, Ms. Salem,” Jaune said, looking down.

Ruby looked over the notes Ms. Salem had left on her paper, feeling shame sink in at the mistakes she had made.

“So, I think the solution is clear,” Ms. Salem said. “Every student who got less than an eighty percent will be attending lunch detention until their grades improve.”

“What?” Ruby exclaimed.

The class went quiet.

“Ruby Rose,” Salem said, after several seconds of chilling silence. “I had hoped when you came to my class several weeks ago, that you would impress me. I was eager to see what sharp potential this prodigy student possessed. The other staff members couldn't stay quiet about you, after all. Since you attended my very first class, however, I must say I have been incredibly disappointed. Your highest grade all semester was a seventy-two. Here I thought you'd show potential similar to Cinder.”

Ruby felt her blood freeze over with each word, deeply regretting her outburst as every single student watched her.

“And yet, despite these shortcomings, it seems you find it acceptable to speak out of turn,” Salem said. “Perhaps you should be the one teaching the class?”

“I never said that,” Ruby said, forcing as much courage as she could muster. She still felt terrified of each word, but Salem had been pushing her to the breaking point.

“Oh?” Salem asked. “Then I'll be patient, and allow you to make your point. But I don't appreciate my time being wasted. If your point lacks validity, I'll see to it that your time is wasted appropriately in after-school detention.”

Ruby took a deep breath, then spoke again.

“I think you're being unfair,” Ruby said. “The questions on our assignments are usually only briefly referred to in class, and between all the textbooks we have, we have no way to reliably find the answers we need. On top of that, regular lunch detention for a C plus is unreasonable.”

Salem let Ruby finish speaking, giving only an unsettling slight smile as she spoke.

“Is that all?” Salem asked. Ruby nodded. “Well, allow me to clear a few things up. First, you not only have adequate resources, but you should already know the answers. Your textbooks have an index and a glossary, do they not?”

“Well, yeah, but-” Ruby began.

“Have you not been shown how to use them?” Salem asked. “Did you skip the year that was covered?”

“A lot of these books assume we already know what a lot of this stuff means,” Jaune said. “Last time any of us had a class like this was seventh grade life science, and this is way more complicated.”

“I don't believe that question was directed at you,” Salem said. “But if you're so eager to join her, then you can join her in detention. I'd like to meet with both of your parents about this outburst. Tomorrow, after school. Does anyone else feel that my lessons are unfair?”

No one spoke or raised their hands.

“Cinder,” Salem said, turning to her. “You've gotten a hundred percent for the fifth day in a row, perhaps you could weigh in on this matter. Surely, if the assignments are so unfairly written, grades like yours wouldn't be possible.”

“It's easy,” Cinder said. “You just have to _actually try_. You can't just try to blow through it, if you actually study and pay attention it's not hard.”

“I think this concludes this matter quite nicely,” Salem said. “And since there is an actual lesson to get to, I'd rather not waste more time. Open your Advanced Cell Function textbooks to page one hundred seventeen, and your standard textbook to page three hundred forty three.”

* * *

“Warren!” Melanie asked, waving her over on the bus. “You have P. E. with Cardin and Mercury, right?”

Weiss felt her heart sink, already knowing exactly where this was going.

“I do,” Weiss said. Several seconds passed with the twins waiting for her to say more.

“Well?” Miltia said. “Was Cardin right? Is Mercury a girl?”

Weiss felt herself sink into internal conflict.

_I don't want to be part of this anymore. I especially don't want to out Mercury, more than Cardin already has._

_But if I don't, they might know._

_It's wrong. It's wrong to do this. I might be able to fix all the things I've done up until now, but if I do this, I can't take it back._

_What I should do is tell them both to shut up, and that it isn't their business. I'd finally be free of their superficial views, and I might even be able to make real friends afterwards, who would accept me for who I am. I could just be done with it all, I could finally be myself._

_But... father... he would be furious. If I did this, not only would I be defying his orders for who I'm allowed to socialize with, I'd probably be throwing away my chance at winning this stupid election. And if I did that... he would probably get violent..._

_Shouldn't it be me, though, instead of Mercury, that suffers for this? It's not fair to put him in harm's way just to keep myself safe._

“Warren?” Melanie asked, snapping her out of her focus. Weiss immediately felt her irritation rise with the name that was spoken. “Is Mercury a girl?”

It was actually partially because of that irritation that Weiss found the strength to answer how she did.

“I wasn't paying attention,” Weiss said. “And honestly, I'm above gossiping about something that happened behind closed doors. It's not my business, and it isn't yours, either. I have an election to focus on, if you don't mind.”

Weiss caught the startled reactions of several surrounding people. Both Jaune and Blake seemed surprised for the better, while the Malachite twins both folded their arms in annoyance, in unison.

“What's your problem?” Miltia scoffed.

“I have better things to do than talk about students behind their back. If you really want to know, ask Mercury, he's a more reliable source than _Cardin Winchester_ ,” Weiss said. “I know you two don't have expectations to meet, but I do.”

As the bus came to a stop, Weiss stormed off, taking a deep breath once she had gotten off the bus.

“I can't say I expected that response,” Blake said, from behind her as the bus drove off.

“You may think you have me figured out,” Weiss said. “But you don't.”

Blake rolled her eyes.

“Are you just... incapable of friendly conversation?” Blake asked. Weiss looked down, sighing.

“I'm not usually offered _friendly_ conversation,” Weiss said. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a campaign to manage.”


	12. Butterfly Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang and Blake have a heart to heart about their trauma. Weiss finally takes a stand for herself, but at a cost she may not have fully realized. Ruby braces herself to deal with the parent-teacher conference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for abandonment, discussion of potential kidnapping or murder, discussion related to abuse and pedophilia, mentions of gaslighting, transphobia, and ableist behavior towards someone with ADHD.

Yang Xiao Long's room was a mix of several different styles, all at once. Her bed had mustard-yellow bedsheets, with a single plushie of a dragon. She had a bookshelf which mainly was decorated with cheesy action movies, a few Mortal Kombat figurines, and the main appeal, eight different trophies, most from either wrestling or boxing tournaments. One of them, however, was a basketball trophy, serving to remind her that there was a third side of her athletic interest.

Her desk had been handmade, a project she had done with her father, years ago. A laptop barely younger than Ruby sat on top, and where most would have had a gaming chair, Yang had a short barstool she had made do with.

The other decorations on the desk included a metallic motorcycle mini, a picture of her and Ruby at a go-kart track from her thirteenth birthday, and a rather appalling collection of candy and snack wrappers.

By her bed, she had a pile of discarded clothes, obscuring the floor. On the other side of her bed, a mini-fridge held a dwindling supply of soda and energy drinks.

Yang rubbed her eyes, scrolling through old articles. She had been looking for hours, and still come across... nothing of note. There were no significant disappearances during that time frame, no investigations were open, at least, to the extent of her knowledge. She just found article after article about 9/11 panic, and its repercussions across the country.

She knew that she'd have to get some sleep soon, it was 2:17 AM and she had to be up at about 6:00. She had gone through several energy drinks, the crumpled cans littering the floor of her room.

It wasn't exactly the cleanest thing to just brush them off her desk when she was done with them, but the way she saw it, Tai had been pestering her to clean her room anyway, so adding a little more mess wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

She closed her laptop with a sigh, knowing she wasn't likely to find anything of use. Whatever had happened to Raven, it didn't tie to anything that was being reported at the time.

Maybe she could talk to Qrow, see if he'd be lenient enough to actually share anything about what happened.

If not, she figured she'd have to try her luck with Glynda Goodwitch or James Ironwood.

Tai was definitely not going to say anything, she knew that much. She'd already tried a few times in the past, and he always just changed the topic as quickly as he could.

What worried her was just how little she was finding. If she got as little from them as she got from tonight's research, she didn't know where to look next.

If this didn't turn anything up, the last thing she knew to do would be to hire a private investigator.

She finished her last energy drink for the night, then flipped the switch of her light and climbed into bed, knowing full well that as tired as she was, she would probably be awake a while longer.

She grabbed her android, with a sigh, and flipped through a few apps.

What surprised her, however, was seeing that Blake was also online.

* * *

Blake couldn't let herself sleep. She was in bed, but every time she closed her eyes, Adam's face came back to her mind, and she felt discomfort wash back over her. Memories would stream back to her, she would remember just how uncomfortable she was around him.

She couldn't understand why it bothered her _this_ much. Yeah, sure, he was kind of a prick, and he was a bit toxic, but every time she thought of him, she wanted to hide.

His name felt like something crawling under her skin, his face made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

 _Am I really that weak? I should be stronger than this. He was just a selfish ass, he shouldn't have this much power over me_ , Blake thought to herself.

She couldn't help but wish she just hadn't ever met him. And at the same time, she still felt guilty. He lost his eye because of _her_ , she was the one that pushed the break up, she...

Was she being unfair? She didn't like being around him, but did that justify abandoning him? Leaving him to struggle on his own?

And yet, a small voice in her head seemed to feel disgust at these thoughts.

 _Of course it was fair,_ she thought. _I didn't feel safe around him. If someone treated Ilia this way, I'd be livid._

She felt herself getting a headache from the constant bickering with herself. She looked back to her phone, back to the text that had served as the catalyst for all of this.

Ilia had sent her a message, hours ago.

 _'Hey_ ,' Ilia had sent. ' _I figured you should know, Adam texted me a few minutes ago, asking about you and Sun. I told him to fuck off, and that he had no business knowing that. Let me know if you need me to kick his ass, okay?'_

Ilia's protective enthusiasm helped Blake feel a little bit calmer, a little bit safer, but at the same time, Ilia wasn't here. Ilia couldn't protect her every minute of every day, and the moments that she was alone, it felt like he was right around the corner.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Yang sent her a message.

_'You having trouble sleeping, too?'_

Blake smiled a little, and typed her response.

 _'Yeah. It's been a rough day. How are you doing?'_ Blake sent. Three dots danced by Yang's profile picture, a surprisingly well-taken picture of herself, with aviator sunglasses, before Yang's message popped up.

_'Can I be honest?'_

_'Of course_ ,' Blake replied.

 _'My day's been a train wreck. Some shit from a long time ago just flared back up, and I can't stop thinking about it,_ ' Yang replied.

 _'In a way, I can really relate to that,'_ Blake replied. ' _If you need to talk, I'm all ears.'_

 _'I appreciate that,'_ Yang said. _'Has Ruby ever mentioned what happened to our mom?'_

 _'She said something really briefly,'_ Blake sent. _'I'm really sorry, that can't have been easy.'_

 _'We're actually half sisters,'_ Yang said. _'I still consider Summer to be my real mom... but Summer didn't give birth to me. My biological mother went missing when I was only 6 months old.'_

Blake's heart ached at the most recent message, and she immediately wished she could be right next to Yang to give her a hug.

 _'I'm sorry, that's awful,'_ Blake said.

_'No one's seen her or heard from her since, and I don't know what happened to her. My dad thinks she just ran out on us, but I'm worried maybe something worse happened. I've been trying to find answers, and I just keep finding nothing. It's frustrating, I just wanna know what happened, you know?'_

_'I get that, yeah,'_ Blake said. _'I can't imagine how that feels, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you.'_

_'It just drives me crazy, not knowing. And it's like, when I see my friends and their parents, I feel like a bad person, because I just feel really jealous, almost angry, you know?'_

_'That doesn't make you a bad person,'_ Blake said. _'You have every right to be upset. As long as you're not taking that out on them, it's perfectly fine that you feel that way.'_

 _'And I don't know what's worse,'_ Yang sent. _'Either she abandoned me or something horrifying happened to her, and everyone around me just wants me to leave it alone. It's not fair, everyone else gets to have a whole family, why don't I at least get to know why I don't?'_

 _'You should get to know,'_ Blake replied. _'And if there's anything I can do to help you find out, I will in a heartbeat, okay?'_

 _'Thanks, that means a lot to me,'_ Yang said. _'Sorry I kinda dumped that all on you. You said you've been having a rough time, too. If you wanna vent, I'm here.'_

 _'I don't really know how to explain,'_ Blake said. _'I'm just having a bit of anxiety, and I'm not sure how to calm down.'_

 _'What's causing it?'_ Yang asked.

 _'It's dumb,'_ Blake said. _'I saw my ex today, and I'm a bit nervous, I guess. I'm honestly overreacting.'_

 _'What makes you think you're overreacting?'_ Yang asked.

Blake tried to type a response, stopping several times to delete what she had typed so far and start over.

_'It'd make sense if I was a little sad, or even just annoyed, but it's been full-scale panic attacks, which is ridiculous. He was a bit rude, and he was a little bit toxic, but I feel like this is an overreaction.'_

_'Is it alright if I ask how he was toxic?'_ Yang asked. _'You don't have to go into it if you don't want to. Not trying to pry.'_

_'He would get kind of angry sometimes, and it was just a lot to handle. He also really didn't like my parents, and sometimes it felt like he was trying to make me dislike them, too. I just felt nervous around him.'_

Yang typed for a long moment, before Blake's phone lit up with her message.

 _'Blake, this sounds like more than just him being toxic. This sounds like abuse. Are you okay?'_ Yang asked.

 _'He wasn't abusive,'_ Blake typed. She knew he wasn't abusive. Toxic, sure. A little bit harsh, definitely. But he wasn't abusive.

 _'Okay, well, what would happen when he would get angry?_ ' Yang asked.

_'Just... really bad fights. He never hit me, or anything like that. It was just arguments, and every couple has arguments.'_

_'How bad? What would he say?'_ Yang asked.

_'Usually he would just get upset because I was remembering things wrong, or because I kept siding with my parents.'_

_'Blake, that sounds like gaslighting. Plus, you're a teenager. You should be able to side with your parents, and the fact that he disliked them so much is a huge red flag. Wait, did your parents like him?'_ Yang asked.

 _'Well, not really. They thought he was a little too old to be dating me,'_ Blake said.

 _'How old was he, and how old were you, when you two were dating?'_ Yang asked.

 _'I was fifteen, and Adam was nineteen,'_ Blake sent. _'Listen, I know how that sounds, but I was okay with the age gap, he wasn't taking advantage of me or anything.'_

 _'Jesus, Blake,'_ Yang said. _'You're a minor, you're four years younger than him.'_

 _'And? If we were in our twenties, no one would blink at a four year difference,'_ Blake said.

 _'You're not in your twenties,'_ Yang said. _'And a nineteen year old shouldn't be going anywhere near minors. Blake, listen to me. Everything you've told me about this guy is a huge red flag. You said you saw him today?'_

 _'Yeah,'_ Blake replied. She was halfway through a follow up message when she realized just how bad it sounded. Not wanting to distort the situation, she sighed, and finished typing it. _'Apparently he deals narcotics to students.'_

 _'Blake,'_ Yang said. _'You gotta stay away from this dude. Listen to me. This creep was abusive, and you need to stay safe.'_

 _'Okay, I understand that the age gap was a bit... not okay,'_ Blake said. _'And yeah, he was toxic. But he wasn't abusive.'_

 _'Just because he never hit you doesn't mean he wasn't abusive, Blake,'_ Yang said. _'Verbal abuse, emotional abuse, those are just as bad. Listen, if this guy tries to talk to you or anything, please let me know. I'll happily kick the shit out of him.'_

Blake didn't know how to feel about this. On one hand, she didn't feel as guilty, seeing someone else confirm the suspicions that had been eating at her helped a little, but at the same time, she felt absolute revulsion at the idea of her having been a _victim_.

 _'You really think he was abusive?'_ Blake asked.

 _'I've seen my share of abusive assholes,'_ Yang said. _'I've been lucky enough not to end up in a relationship with one, but I've still seen plenty. This guy hit like, all of my red flags. Please be careful, Blake.'_

Blake took in a shaky breath, feeling more comfort as Tex, her cat, curled up against her. She gave Tex a gentle hug, appreciating that in several ways, she was surrounded by love and affection.

* * *

When Melanie and Miltia Malachite didn't invite her over to talk on the bus, Weiss knew she probably should have felt annoyed, or upset. She, however, couldn't bring herself to feel anything other than relief. She was perfectly happy to spend the drive to school in relative silence, especially after having been up until about 1:30 last night between all of the campaign notes, homework, and Jacques' usual personal assignments meant to “Get you ready for the cutthroat world of corporate business.”

She rolled her eyes at the memory, wishing that just once, she could tell him that she really didn't care about his assignments. She might have been willing to muster some actual enthusiasm if at the very least, she could get up at a reasonable hour, not 5:15 AM.

Her relaxing quiet came crashing to a stop when she made it into the cafeteria, and reluctantly joined the Malachites and Henry Marigold.

“Oh, look, there he is,” Miltia rolled her eyes. “I'm surprised you have time for us, I thought your campaign was your only priority.”

“I have several priorities,” Weiss said. “Currently, the election is one of my highest ones.”

“Wait, so what happened?” Henry asked.

“Yesterday, Cardin kept talking about Mercury,” Melanie began.

“Yeah, I heard all that,” Henry said. “So where does Warren fit in?”

“On the bus, we tried to get the story from him, and apparently he had a stick stuck up his-”

“I didn't have the patience to deal with gossip,” Weiss interrupted.

“Sure,” Miltia said. “Well, it seems to me like you were trying to defend Mercury.”

“If that's how you see it, then that's fine by me,” Weiss said. “This isn't about Mercury. Don't you get tired of the gossip?”

“It does get a little stale,” Henry admitted. Miltia glared daggers at him as he spoke. “I'm just saying, there's other things to talk about.”

“If you don't want to talk about people, fine,” Melanie said. “There's plenty of other topics. But you don't have to be rude about it.”

“Good, I'm glad we cleared that up,” Weiss said, trying to contain her frustration with the twins. “Now, father wants me to improve my campaign efforts, so I need a few things done. Melanie, you're in the announcements. I need an endorsement from you, a reminder that I care about the needs of every student, and have a better record of success than Robyn. Henry, I-”

“Wow,” Miltia interrupted. “First, you're rude to us, then you want us to do you favors?”

Weiss felt her temper flare as she turned to face Miltia.

“Do you have a problem with me, Miltia?” Weiss asked. “Because unlike you two, I have actual ambitions that I need to achieve, I'm not free to sit around and talk about what embarrassingly cheap makeup Neon used last week, or-”

“Nathan,” Miltia snapped. “Don't tell me you're actually on those freaks' side.”

Weiss realized the mistake she had made, and immediately backpedaled.

“Sure, Nathan,” Weiss said. “I've been under a lot of stress, okay? This election hasn't exactly been easy.”

The Malachite twins both rolled their eyes.

“The election this, my campaign that,” Melanie said. “It's always about you, isn't it?”

“Whoa, alright,” Henry said. “Everyone, calm down.”

Weiss was practically having a staredown with Melanie, as Henry spoke.

“I can see tensions are high,” Henry continued. “How about everyone goes and takes a few minutes to calm down?”

Weiss stood, angrily.

“With pleasure,” Weiss snapped, before turning to walk off. She was aware of the eyes that followed her as she moved to an empty table, across the cafeteria.

* * *

Ruby was only a single day into her lunch detentions, and already she wished she could have just never seen Ms. Salem ever again. If she had been cruel during class, Ruby had truly never considered just how harsh she would be when there wasn't a lesson she was trying to teach.

A majority of the lunch detention had been spent doing extra homework, Salem watching over her like a hawk.

It didn't help that Ruby had absolutely no ability to stay still.

When she fidgeted with her pencil-

“I don't recall giving an instruction to click your pencil, over and over. Perhaps I simply forgot that I wrote it, so if you'd like to point me to said instruction, I'd be happy to let you keep _wasting my time_.”

When she wasn't making enough progress-

“Did I not explain that the purpose of you being here was to _progress forward,_ not to stare at an unanswered page?”

When she found herself disassociating-

“I understand that you have several classes, so if you made the mistake of assuming that this is _daydreaming_ class, allow me to remind you otherwise.”

It was a nightmare, and no matter how much she wanted to just give Salem what she wanted, she couldn't. Her mind wandered, her hands drummed on her desk, and she _couldn't_ regain control.

Ruby's best efforts didn't even make the slightest impression on Salem, who got more and more upset as the detention went on.

So, when the bell rang and she was able to rush off to her P. E. class, she couldn't possibly have left Salem's classroom faster.

* * *

During eighth period, rather than attending Ironwood's math class, like usual, Weiss found herself in Ms. Rumpole's debate classroom, to meet with the other candidates.

Cardin Winchester was sat on a desk, rather than a chair, flipping through a _Sports Illustrated_ magazine. His letterman jacket reeked, as per usual. Weiss knew he was hardly a well-groomed man, but she wondered if he had ever cleaned the jacket before.

Marrow was politely sitting at a desk, filling out unfinished homework in the spare time he had. He had to be Cardin's polar opposite. Weiss noted that he seemed remarkably clean, unlike Mr. Winchester, who she imagined used three-in-one body wash, conditioner, and shampoo. Honestly, with how well Marrow maintained his hygiene, she was surprised he wasn't assumed to be gay, given the school's tendency to latch onto stereotypes.

Robyn Hill didn't have assignments in front of her, nor was she distracted by a magazine. She, like Weiss, was keeping a more attentive eye on the other people in the room, and Weiss had to avoid showing just how much she related to Robyn when she wrinkled her nose at the pungent odor.

“Honestly, Robyn, you really should just drop out,” Cardin said absentmindedly while reading.

“I'd hate to tell you, Cardin,” Robyn began. “But all three of us would have to drop out for you to have a chance.”

“I've got a better chance than you, at least,” Cardin chuckled.

“Why?” Marrow asked, looking up.

“Duh,” Cardin said. “I know there's a few SJW kids here, but most of us don't want a president that'll throw tantrums every month.”

Robyn crossed her arms, irritated.

“Really?” Weiss scoffed. “I'm not one to endorse Robyn, but if it was down to you or her, I'd vote for her.”

“What a heroic white knight,” Cardin laughed.

“Am I the only one that isn't dead set on petty rivalries?” Marrow asked. “We all take this seriously. That doesn't mean we have to bicker about it.”

“I'd be perfectly happy to keep it professional,” Robyn said. “If either of them would, too.”

“And what's that supposed to mean?” Weiss snapped, turning to face her.

“I mean, it's not enough that you two have everything going for you, you still have to be insufferable about it,” Robyn said.

“Everything I have going for me, I fought for,” Weiss argued.

“Really?” Robyn rolled her eyes. “Name one advantage you have that isn't a factor of race, sex, or money.”

“For one, out of all four of us, I have the highest grades,” Weiss said.

“Which traces back to money,” Robyn said.

“I don't buy my grades,” Weiss said.

“But you have an advantage in academics. You can afford any equipment needed, you've never had an assignment suffer because you can't access an important resource,” Robyn said.

“Some of us have real skills,” Cardin nodded.

“Let me know when football is a presidential skill,” Weiss said.

“Wonderful,” Marrow sighed, turning back to his homework.

“Besides, when did this become about me? Cardin was the one-” Weiss began.

“I'm sorry, isn't it always about you?” Robyn interrupted.

“Why do you have more of a problem with me than anyone else in this room?” Weiss snapped. “Cardin's been just as vocal an opponent!”

“I'm not about to argue that he's a saint,” Robyn said. “But while he is ignorantly discriminatory, you're _active_ in yours.”

Weiss' heart sank, as Robyn reminded her of everything she wished she could leave behind.

Before anything else could be said, however, Principal Ozpin entered the room, closing the door behind him.

“I do hope I'm not interrupting anything,” Ozpin said.

“Nothing meaningful,” Marrow sighed.

“What's this about?” Cardin asked.

“Mr. Winchester, please take a seat _properly_ ,” Ozpin said, walking up to the front of the classroom.

Weiss always thought Ozpin was one of the most strange looking individuals she had ever seen. Because of his silvery-white hair, it always seemed at first that he was an older man, but the startling reality that became apparent when you looked closer, is that he had not a single wrinkle on his face. Weiss had at one point overheard him mention that he was in his late thirties, much to the dismay of everyone around.

“Now, the reason you've all been called here is to give you some time to prepare. You four have been narrowed down as the final candidates for this year's student presidency. I'm here to make sure you all understand what that entails, and to go over what will happen in the next three and a half weeks. The first thing I'd like to make clear is that a student president still has limitations of power, and that promising things you cannot do as a means of getting votes will result in your immediate disqualification from the election. Is everyone clear on what these limitations are?” Ozpin asked.

“Can the president get people out of detention?” Cardin asked.

“No, they cannot,” Ozpin said.

“How about move funding from the art and theater projects into the football department?” Cardin asked. Marrow, Robyn, and Weiss all sighed in annoyance.

“No, they cannot do that either,” Ozpin said.

“Then what _can_ the student president do?” Cardin asked.

“Well, for one, if funding the sports department is something you'd like to achieve, the student president can organize a fundraiser,” Ozpin said. “On top of that, the student president has the largest hand in planning events such as dances, pizza parties, et cetra. You'll also have a hand in deciding to bring in new lunch and breakfast options, you can approve the formation and founding of new clubs, and your primary responsibility will be to represent the interests of the student body. The student president attends most staff meetings, and has the ability to bring up student concerns to the staff.”

“Ugh, that sounds annoying,” Cardin said.

“Then maybe you should withdraw,” Weiss snapped.

“The student president also gets to determine several members of the Student Government, primarily their cabinet. You each need to appoint someone who will be your vice president should you be elected. I trust that each of you has someone in mind?” Ozpin asked.

“Harriet Bree,” Marrow said.

“Henry Marigold,” Weiss said.

“May Marigold,” Robyn said, glaring at Weiss as she spoke.

“Russel Thrush,” Cardin said.

“Since we're here, then, I'd like to discuss your choices,” Ozpin said. “It's common for students to try to bring a friend with, but I'd like to remind you all that this is a responsibility, and as such, your choice should be someone qualified for the position.”

“Harriet and I aren't friends,” Marrow clarified. “We're in JROTC together, we work as a team. She is an objective thinker who is active in circles that I'm not. She would ensure that the students I don't hear from often still get represented.”

“Perfect,” Ozpin said, taking a sip of his drink.

“Henry Marigold is also incredibly qualified,” Weiss said. “His grades are almost as good as mine, and like myself, he has been raised to keep a professional view. He will take his role just as seriously as I take mine.”

“I see,” Ozpin said, causing Weiss to falter in surprise.

“May was fundamental in every step that I've made. She usually helps me see the big picture, and I know she'll always prioritize the wellbeing of students over our friendship. That's what I respect most about her. On top of that, the student government almost always lacks minorities. May is ecstatic to bring the wellbeing of trans students to the forefront,” Robyn said.

“And I'd be happy to see that,” Ozpin said. “She will make an exceptional choice.”

“Russel's the perfect guy for the job,” Cardin began. “Last year, we flattened Capitol High in the finals, and he was a huge part of that.”

Weiss rolled her eyes.

“I'm sure,” Ozpin said. “Well, I'd recommend that Mr. Schnee and Mr. Winchester reconsider their candidates. There's more to this position than a professional view or athletic prowess. Your choice should be able to make up for what you lack. Feel free to choose whoever you want, but as it stands, it is apparent that two of you take this more seriously than the rest.”

“I take it very seriously!” Weiss said, leaning forward.

“Then perhaps you haven't thought it through,” Ozpin said. “One week from now, we will hold an assembly during sixth and seventh period. Part of this assembly will be to discuss candidates, and this will be when you each can address the student body, all at once. Your choice for vice president will have to be final by that point, and it is recommended that you prepare a speech. This speech should address exactly what you seek to get done as student president, what you will bring to the school, what qualifies you for the position, and what issues you have with the current status of the school. It is recommended that you memorize this speech as well.”

“Wait, will our VP choice also be addressing the school?” Marrow asked.

“Not directly,” Ozpin said. “They will need to be there so that the school is clearly aware of who they are voting for.”

“Understood,” Robyn said.

“After the assembly, you will each have two weeks to show how committed you are to your causes. All four of you, and your vice presidential picks, will be allowed to attend student government meetings. You should use this time to prove that your words aren't just words. Once those two weeks are up, we will hold a vote in first period, the Monday of that week. Tuesday and Wednesday will serve as the time for the votes to be counted, and for anyone who missed Monday to contribute their votes as well. Thursday morning, you will all be present during first period for the filming of the announcements, when the winner of the election will be announced. Are there any questions?”

“Yeah, just how much power will we have for those two weeks?” Cardin asked.

“You will be given the same degree of power as a committee representative. You will be able to bring up concerns during student government meetings, for the current student government to address.”

“Will we know before the announcements who was elected?” Marrow asked.

“You will be told before they are filmed,” Ozpin said. “The three students that lose the election will not be featured in the announcements.”

“When's this student government thing?” Cardin asked.

“Mondays and Fridays at lunch, in this classroom,” Weiss sighed. “Although if you didn't already know that, maybe you aren't qualified to run.”

“Why?” Cardin scoffed. “Because I didn't know when your nerd club happens?”

“Because most student presidents already attended student government before running,” Robyn said.

“That's enough,” Ozpin said. “Are there any other questions?”

“I don't have any,” Marrow said.

“Neither do I,” Weiss said.

“Nope,” Cardin said.

Robyn shook her head.

“Then I'd ask that you all return to your eighth period classes,” Ozpin said.

* * *

Jaune's parents were Emeric and Sunny Arc, and Ruby could really see the family resemblance. Emeric was tall, confirming that Jaune wasn't the only giant of his family. His dark hair was tied back in a ponytail, going down to his shoulders. Sunny, on the other hand, was clearly where Jaune got his hair color. She had flowing golden locks, making Ruby think of Yang, if only Yang could ever tame her mane.

They both sat next to Jaune, while Taiyang sat next to Ruby.

“Thank you all for coming to this conference,” Salem said, taking a seat at her desk. “I'll keep this as brief as I can. Jaune and Ruby have both been failing Biology.”

Ruby noticed Jaune flinch, and she could have sworn she saw Salem give just the slightest smile at that. No one else seemed to catch it, however.

“The class, that is,” Salem clarified. “They have consistently been getting below seventy percent. I will admit, I am a bit stricter with my grades than most teachers are, but I think we can all agree that these grades are concerning.”

“I appreciate you bringing this to our attention,” Sunny said. “But I'll admit, I'm concerned about the assignments Jaune's been sent home with. Surely it's not necessary to assign so much homework.”

“The end of course exams for my class are notoriously difficult,” Salem said. “And because of this, I like to prepare my students by really pushing them to learn the required material. I assure you, I don't assign more than is needed.”

“Right, and I get that,” Taiyang said. “But it seems more like all this is doing is confusing your students. We both know that's not new either.”

Salem narrowed her eyes.

“I do forget sometimes that you were in my class some time ago,” Salem said. “But that brings me to my exact concerns. I'm sure you remember how difficult the exams are. I'd hate to see your daughter fail the exams due to a lack of preparation. We've both seen how hard it is to make up that difference, if I recall.”

Tai's expression changed as Salem spoke.

“That's-” he began, and Ruby heard the mix of irritation and anger in his voice.

“From what I hear, Ruby has worked hard to move forward into this year. Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.”

“What?” Ruby asked, looking between Tai and Salem.

“And that is exactly why I'm bringing this up. If Ruby fails this exam, she would be moved back to her prior grade. I doubt any of us would _like_ to see that happen,” Salem said.

“So what exactly do you want us to do?” Emeric asked.

“Every parent has a different style of raising their children, and it is not my intention to tell any of you how to do so. I would just like to suggest that an emphasis is given to focus properly on assignments. I'm concerned that my class isn't being taken seriously.”

“I see,” Sunny said. “We'll keep that in mind.”

“Please do,” Salem said, as everyone got up. Ruby shuddered as she and Tai left the room.


	13. The Eye of the Hurricane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rising tide of recent events culminates for Weiss, resulting in utter chaos. Yang hopes to find answers with the help of a few teachers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading this chapter, you should be aware that this is the darkest and most intense chapter of this series so far.   
> Heavy trigger warnings this chapter, for transphobia, intentional misgendering, bullying, manipulative behavior, mentions of drug abuse, mentions of violence, discussions related to blackmail and gaslighting, more discussion related to possible kidnapping or murder, physical violence, physical child abuse, emotional child abuse, blood, and long-term physical injury.

Unfortunately, not every Schnee dinner could have Winter present. Weiss simply hoped by gritting her teeth and dealing with Jacques, she could quickly push through the meal and return to solitude in her room.

“Whitley,” Jacques asked, as Weiss took a bite of her steak. “I've heard once more that you have excelled in class. This is exactly what I hoped for. Neither your brother nor your sister managed this high of an average.”

“It wasn't difficult,” Whitley said, grinning that obnoxiously cocky grin Weiss loathed. She once again thought Whitley was, in every way, the perfect embodiment of a teenage Jacques. Then again, if he was, then surely she wasn't too far off. “I truly don't understand why other eighth graders can't manage the same. Perhaps they are simply incapable of our level of thinking.”

“You'll learn more and more as you advance that a vast majority of the world is below us,” Jacques said. “There's a reason there are almost no mansions here.”

“I almost feel sorry for them,” Whitley remarked.

“You shouldn't,” Jacques said. “Their failure simply gives us more opportunity. Now, Warren.”

Weiss took a breath, pulling every bit of willpower into burying her disgust at _that_ name.

“Yes, father?” Weiss asked.

“It's been some time since the last update. What is the status of your election?” Jacques asked.

“Tomorrow, we will be attending an assembly,” Weiss said. “We will be giving a formal speech to make clear our stance. I will use this opportunity to win over those who didn't already have an opinion on me. Unfortunately, a few groups are likely out of my reach. Cardin Winchester will have more sway with the athletic students, and the _liberal_ students will surely side with Robyn Hill. Fortunately, Marrow and I both appeal to the same students, but I'm far more qualified than he is. He hasn't placed a single campaign poster around the school.”

“Winchester and Hill, what is your plan for them?” Jacques asked.

“I'm not worried about Cardin. He's popular, but that's all he has going for him,” Weiss said.

“You've said that before,” Jacques said. “But there's something you've been overlooking, time after time.”

Weiss cocked her head, waiting for the inevitable rant.

“Did it skip your mind that a majority of the students there don't care about your stance?” Jacques sneered. “The intellectual students will obviously vote for the _smartest_ choice, and I would seriously hope you would be victorious over a street rat and a feminist in that department. But the rest of the students will treat this like a popularity contest. If you can't win them over, your election will be a failure.”

“Are you suggesting I pander to them?” Weiss asked.

“I'm suggesting you take a more active approach. What is your current standing, as far as popularity goes? Public image is everything.”

“It's...” Weiss began, wincing as she remembered her rocky relationship with the Malachite twins. “Been better, but I can repair the damage.”

“Explain how it's... _been better_ ,” Jacques spat.

“Melanie and Miltia Malachite are the more popular members of my clique,” Weiss explained. “And at the moment, they're upset with me because I didn't care for their shallow gossip.”

“Tell me, when you run my company, are you planning on pissing off news reporters because you _don't care_ for their vulturous career?” Jacques asked.

“Well, no, but-”

“When you're competing for success, you put your own feelings aside and maintain your connections. Very little is more important than that. I thought you understood something as simple as that,” Jacques sneered.

“I can still do this without their help,” Weiss said.

“And did it ever occur to your obviously shortsighted mind that being on piss-poor terms with people like them will actively harm your campaign?” Jacques asked. “You didn't just potentially lose a resource. If you keep fumbling it like you have been, you may turn it against you, right at a pivotal moment. When you're playing chess, would you sacrifice your queen, then allow the enemy team to promote a pawn?”

“Obviously not,” Weiss said.

“Then why would you do something so moronic here?” Jacques spat.

Weiss flinched as he raised his voice.

“I'll fix things with the Malachites,” Weiss said.

“Good,” Jacques said. “Now, just having those connections is half of the equation. If Hill and Winchester have followers that won't help you, then you need to ensure that they won't help your enemies, either.”

“What are you suggesting?” Weiss asked, nervously.

“You can't be serious,” Jacques said.

“It's obvious,” Whitley said. “You destroy their image. Blackmail, smear campaigns, whatever it takes. You keep saying Cardin Winchester has popularity. Destroy it by embarrassing him. If Robyn has people following her for political reasons, then sever those connections.”

“You're suggesting-” Weiss began.

“They don't even actually have to make mistakes,” Whitley said. “Enough footage of Hill and a skilled editor can formulate a video of her saying whatever you need her to. Let her followers see that 'authentic' video of her denouncing their values, and her following will evaporate. You have money on your side, you can easily pull this off.”

“Exactly,” Jacques said. “Ruin their reputations and no one will be left with a platform to challenge you from.”

Weiss looked down at her food, deeply uncomfortable at the idea.

“Is that... is that really the best way?” Weiss asked.

“If you have some other tactic, feel free to use it instead,” Jacques said, having just finished his food. “Just remember what failure means in this family.”

Weiss flinched once more, remembering the last time she hadn't met his expectations for grades. She remembered the stinging of his palm against her face. She remembered how hungry she had been that night. She remembered how loud his voice had gotten, she remembered him calling her a disappointment, a failure.

“Yes, father,” Weiss said, standing to return to her room.

“One last thing,” Jacques said. Weiss stopped, turning back to face him. “I have been paying attention to your grades. Aside from a few... disappointments... related to your biology class, your grades have been maintaining as expected. As such, I have a new assignment for you. You have had regular work assigned by me for years, but it has been a relatively minor degree.”

“I usually have one to two hours a day worth, just from you,” Weiss countered.

“Precisely. I feel that this leaves you with too much time on your hands, so I will be doubling your workload. After all, progress cannot happen if you aren't being pushed,” Jacques said.

Weiss choked on her words, unable to formulate an argument. She knew better than to pick a fight with Jacques Schnee, so she just took a breath and nodded.

“I understand, father,” Weiss said.

She turned to return to her room, doing her best to ignore her frustrations until she reached her desk.

With a sigh, she pulled out her iPhone, going to her chat group with the Malachites and Henry.

 _'I'd like to apologize for my recent behavior. I've been under a lot of stress, but that's no excuse to insult any of you,'_ Weiss said. She watched as all three of the other members' icons indicated that they read her message, and then Melanie Malachite began typing.

 _'You've hardly talked to us all week, how can you think we'd be okay with that?'_ Melanie sent.

 _'I know, and I'm sorry. This election is taking a lot out of me,'_ Weiss said. _'You all are still important to me, and I'd like to make up for this mistake.'_

 _'Are you still considering a different VP?'_ Henry sent. Weiss sighed, thinking back to a few days ago, when she had mentioned that she might be looking for a different pick. Since then, Henry had been incredibly passive-aggressive with her. She felt stuck in an impossible solution. With Henry as her pick, her chances of getting elected were lessened, but if she tried to pick someone else, Henry would potentially actively harm her campaign.

She had been considering a few students for the position. Octavia, for one, could help cover the areas she had little access to, and could be for her what Harriet and May were for Marrow and Robyn. She also was considering offering the position to Pyrrha Nikos, for their mutual benefit. Pyrrha had been considering running for president, but was unsure of her qualifications. Weiss would certainly be improving her chances next year by giving her a platform as a previous VP, and in return, Pyrrha would be able to appeal to Cardin and Robyn's groups, a unique opportunity for someone as constricted as Weiss. Finally, she had also been thinking about Vine, who had connections all across the school and could be an effective representative of students Weiss had never even met.

The more she thought about it, the more she agreed with Ozpin that Henry was an awful choice for her pick, and would bring nothing to the table that Weiss didn't already have. On top of that, she would be happy for any situation in which she had to deal with him less.

Surely, however, turning him away would be the final nail in the coffin, isolating her away from all of her connections and leaving her campaign dead in the water. Cardin Winchester would have a better shot than her.

No, this was her circle and she needed to stick with it if she wanted any chance of moving forward. Surely Whitley and Jacques weren't the only ones that had thought of stooping to petty manipulation. If she became an enemy of Henry and the Malachite twins, who's to say they wouldn't use those tactics on her as payback?

And the thought of losing the election wouldn't be such a terrifying thought if it wasn't for Jacques. He had made it perfectly clear that if the election didn't go her way, it would end poorly for her.

She felt sick at the realization of what this meant, however. It meant she would probably have to undo all of the progress she had made sticking up for Mercury.

Refusing to out Mercury was one of the few things she felt confident about. It was the single moment she could look back on as proof that she wasn't like Jacques.

With a sigh, she looked back down at her phone.

 _'I shouldn't have tried to find someone else. Of course you're my VP,'_ Weiss sent. She pulled back to her gallery, looking at the picture she had taken back at Winter's house.

If anything, her guilt worsened.

The girl she saw there was like a picture taken of her soul. It felt more and more like the girl in the picture was Weiss, and she truly was just a distorted reflection. It felt like some science fiction or fantasy trope, that she was the clone that was twisted and evil. She knew exactly where her decisions were leading her.

If that girl was here with her, what would she say? Would she be angry at her for making these choices? Would she try to push her to make a different call?

If she chose differently, she would be putting herself in the path of so much potential harm. She would be right in Jacques' crosshairs, she would be the target of every ounce of manipulation the Malachite twins could muster...

But then again...

It was her fault May had been their victim. And it was her fault that Velvet had been. And Flynt. And Neon. And Penny. And Coco. And so many more students.

She had felt amazing when she stood up for Mercury, she had felt like herself again, for just a moment.

After all, she always wanted to be the person that would take the hit for someone else. She wanted to be like Blake, like Mercury, she never wanted to look in the mirror and think that she was in any possible way like Jacques Schnee.

She pulled the texting conversation back up, and her mind swirled with conflict as she considered making a choice that she could never truly take back.

* * *

“Ugh,” Yang said, sitting in the cafeteria. Blake looked up, raising an eyebrow. “I spent almost the whole damn weekend looking at newspapers, police records, everything available to the public, and there was just... nothing.”

“I'm so sorry,” Blake said. “Hey, we'll find her, okay?”

“It just feels like she vanished. I've searched online for her, I've looked for social media accounts, registrations, everything. It's like she's just... gone. Like she never existed,” Yang said.

“I have met very few students as determined as you,” Penny said, from next to Ruby. “I have no doubt that you will find her eventually.”

“Yeah, you've got this,” Ruby said. “And we're all here to help.”

“Thanks,” Yang sighed, looking down at her cereal. “I just... I've asked Qrow, and he said it was probably best that I just drop it. I've been seriously considering asking Ironwood and Goodwitch, it just feels... awkward, you know?”

“Then how about we ask them together?” Ruby asked. “We'll go at lunch. I can help you ask, and since we're family, it might be a bit less weird.”

Yang nodded.

“Thanks,” Yang said. “That'll really help.”

“If not,” Blake sighed. “I might know one other option.”

Yang looked up, cocking her head.

“I told you about Adam, right?” Blake said, looking down. Yang nodded, unsure of where she was going with this. “Adam has a friend that runs a nightclub downtown. I forgot all about him, until Adam mentioned him the other day. His name is Junior. His whole thing is that he has connections. If someone needs narcotics, he sends them to Adam, that's why they work together. But, he's good at finding information. Apparently he has contacts as far out as New York, Seattle, L. A., and Orlando. As long as the information is localized to this country, he has a decent chance of finding it, as long as you're willing to pay.”

Yang sighed.

“That means a lot to me, but if this guy does business with that scumbag, he's not worth our time,” Yang said.

“Yang,” Blake said. “If Goodwitch and Ironwood don't know anything, or aren't willing to talk about it, this could be your chance to find info. I don't want your search to end up dead in the water, and this is the best option we have if they don't pan out.”

Yang contemplated her words, unsure of what to say.

“Okay,” Yang said. “I won't write Junior off. If nothing else works, I'll go see him. But we don't even know right now if we'll need to, so let's just focus on here and now.”

Blake nodded.

“But thank you, Blake,” Yang said. “I know that can't have been easy to bring up.”

“If it helps you find your mom, I'll do whatever I can,” Blake smiled.

“You're an amazing friend, you know that?” Yang said. “I mean, we've known each other for, like, a few weeks, and already you're my best friend.”

“Really?” Blake asked, her eyebrows arched in shock.

“Uh, yeah,” Yang said.

“You're a good friend too,” Blake said, blushing. “I'd even say at this point you might be tied with Ilia as my best friend. I just didn't think you'd be so quick to feel that way about me.”

“Ugh, get a room,” Ruby joked.

Yang gave a fake gasp of outrage, turning to Ruby.

“Oh, come on,” Ruby said. “You two are practically lovebirds at this point.”

Blake blushed even harder than before, unsure of how to respond to that. Yang, on the other hand ruffled Ruby's hair.

“You're such a dork,” Yang teased. Ruby quickly tried to get her hair back into a semi-manageable shape, batting away Yang's hand. “What, are you jealous?”

“Pff, what is there to be jealous of?” Ruby scoffed.

“I dunno, dating?” Yang asked.

“Laaame,” Ruby said. “Nah, you can keep all of that weird kissy-hand-holdy-stuff to yourself. I'm not interested.”

“Besides, that just means more time for your friends!” Penny smiled.

“Exactly!” Ruby said. “And on that note, I've been thinking. If I annoy dad about it enough, I can try to get him to take us to Wahooz!”

Wahooz was an arcade and amusement park right outside of Boise's official limits, and one of Ruby's favorite places in the world. Between laser tag, go karts, and all the arcade games, she could get lost there for hours.

“I would enjoy that,” Penny said. “I have been there before, once.”

“Oh, we have to do go karts!” Ruby said. “It'd be so much fun!”

“You need to invite her to your birthday party, too,” Yang said.

“Right!” Ruby said. “It'll be the weekend before Halloween!”

“I would love to attend,” Penny smiled.

“And on my actual birthday, there's the Halloween dance!” Ruby said.

“Wait, your birthday is Halloween?” Blake asked.

“Yup!” Ruby said. “I've already got my costume and everything! This year I'm going as Tracer from Overwatch!”

“I haven't really celebrated Halloween in a while,” Blake said. “It'd be fun for us all to go together.”

“Who are you gonna go as?” Yang asked.

“I'm not sure,” Blake said. “I'd have to give it some thought. Do you know who you're going as?”

“Sonya Blade from Mortal Kombat,” Yang said. “Ruby and I figured we'd go with video games as a theme this year.”

“It'll be so much fun,” Ruby said, as the bell rang. She stood, picking up her breakfast tray. “I'll see you all later!”

“I look forward to that!” Penny replied, nodding.

* * *

“Coach Goodwitch?” Yang asked, knocking on the open door of Goodwitch's office.

“Come in,” Glynda said. Yang and Ruby entered, and Yang took a seat at her desk.

“I had a few questions to ask, if that's okay,” Yang said, trying to keep her hands from trembling.

“I'm always happy to help my students,” Glynda nodded.

“It's... not exactly a school related question,” Yang said. “Dad mentioned that a while ago, you and Mr. Ironwood were friends of his, and that you knew Raven Branwen.”

Glynda looked down, taking a deep breath.

“I wondered if at some point you'd come by to ask,” Glynda said. “Yes, Yang, I used to be friends with your mother.”

“I'm trying to find out what happened to her,” Yang said. “Do you know if anything weird happened, around the time she left?”

“I'm sorry to say I wasn't really around during that time,” Glynda said. “When you were born, I was studying abroad.”

“Oh,” Yang said, disappointed.

“Yang,” Glynda said, taking off her glasses to clean them. “I know you want to know what happened, but I knew her. She wasn't fond of commitment, and if I'm being blunt, she usually didn't like responsibility. I'm afraid this situation is very likely what it looks like.”

“But that's just it, everyone keeps saying it made sense that she'd leave,” Yang said, frustrated. “But I don't think so. I've seen pictures of her with me, when I was a baby, and she didn't look upset or scared. She looked happy.”

“Yang,” Glynda began.

“Something happened to her, and I need to find out what,” Yang said. Glynda sighed, putting her glasses back on.

“If you're determined to, then none of us can stop you,” Glynda said. “But please be careful if you're planning on looking for her. Some of Raven's friends were dangerous.”

“Her friends?” Yang said. “I thought her only friends were you, Mr. Ironwood, dad, and Summer.”

Glynda immediately seemed to regret her words.

“I doubt you've heard about the others she spent time around,” Glynda said.

“But that just backs up what I'm saying,” Yang said. “If she knew dangerous people, what if one of them _did_ something?”

“Yang-”

“Who were her other friends?” Yang asked. Glynda sighed.

“I'm not at liberty to say,” Glynda said. “I understand that this is difficult for you, but I'm afraid I've told you everything I can.”

Several seconds of silence passed, in which Yang fidgeted, frustrated with Glynda's silence.

“Okay,” Yang sighed. “Thank you, Coach Goodwitch.”

* * *

Blake watched with a smile as Marrow delivered his speech, Harriet standing at his side. Between the elected candidates, Marrow and Robyn were easily Blake's favorites. Whichever of the two of them won, Blake would be gleeful to see the position go to someone that understood what it is like to be marginalized.

“Thank you for your consideration,” Marrow concluded. “If you want to see a change in favor of education, vote Amin.”

Marrow backed off, as Robyn Hill and May Marigold walked out from offstage.

“YEAH!” Joanna cheered from the row in front of Blake. Next to Joanna, Fiona was also cheering in support.

Blake couldn't help but notice just how vocal Robyn's support truly was, though. Coco, Velvet, Flynt, Pyrrha, even Emerald and Mercury gave their support.

“Thank you,” Robyn smiled, picking up the microphone. “I know it's mainly the Juniors that know me, so I'd like to introduce myself to the Seniors and Sophomores. My name is Robyn Hill. I don't think it comes as a surprise to anyone here that this state is a hard one to be in, as a minority. What I want is to make it easier. I've been a member of the anti-bullying committee and a member of the student council since I first came to this school, a year ago, and I've noticed a frustrating trend in both. They try to fix bullying, they try to fix these issues, without addressing the root cause. As just a representative, I haven't had the power to bring this into the foreground. I know racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, all kinds of discriminatory behavior runs rampant in this school, and I think I speak for everyone like me when I say I'm tired of it. As student president, I would hold regular fundraisers to increase funding for amazing projects like our Pride club. I would be able to bring incidents like the bullying most of us face every day into the view of staff members, more frequently. I have also been trying to set up an environmentalism committee, and I know many of you support that as well.”

As if to answer her words, many cheered at the mention. Blake joined in the chorus of cheers, already having decided exactly who she would be supporting this election.

“As it stands, I haven't been able to get it set up. As student president, I could approve it immediately. And in case anyone is concerned that they won't be heard, I'd like to introduce you all to May Marigold. If I could, I would have Fiona and Joanna up here, too. They all have a widespread connection, and I'm pretty sure everyone here has met at least one of them. I understand how important it is to have people that belong to marginalized communities, in a position to make things better. If you're being bullied, harassed, or otherwise discriminated against, and don't feel comfortable talking to me about it, that's exactly why they're here. May knows very well what that kind of bullying does to people, and that's why I've chosen her to be my vice presidential pick should I get elected. If you want to see a more equal Taylor High, then vote Hill this election.”

May gave a sassy curtsy as Robyn set her microphone back on it's stand, and they backed up.

Blake was, however, astonished, just as the rest of the school was, when Warren Schnee walked up to the microphone _alone_.

“Hello, Taylor High,” he said, pulling the mic back off. “My name is Warren Schnee, a name I'm sure you all recognize from my father's company, the Schnee Auto Company. I apologize, as I don't currently have a vice presidential pick. My goals if I get elected to the position are-”

Warren stopped, rubbing his temples. Blake raised an eyebrow, unsure of what to make of this.

“Our school has lacked focus on education, and like many, there has been an inherent bias in favor of sports. I, like many of you, understand how frustrating it can be to work relentlessly on assignments and grades, only for the praise and recognition to go to athletics. I...”

Warren stopped again, shaking his head. He walked back to the microphone stand, putting the mic back.

“I'm sorry, I can't follow through with this. I'm withdrawing from the election,” Warren said. “To see the changes I talked about, vote Amin this election.”

Blake watched in shock as Warren walked off stage, to a very puzzled crowd. Even Marrow, who Warren had _just endorsed_ , looked surprised at the day's events. May, right next to Marrow, was just as shocked, and Robyn was watching skeptically as Warren walked away, as if she thought it was some kind of trick waiting to blow up in her face.

Before long, however, Cardin hurried over to Warren's spot, Russel Thrush following right behind.

“What's up, Taylor High!” Cardin called into the mic, grabbing it and looking around the crowd. “That was weird, right? Guess it just means less competition. I know you all already know me, but in case any of you have been living under a rock, I'm the quarterback that ran the touchdown against Centennial last year.”

Blake was annoyed at how much of the crowd cheered at that, and she clearly wasn't the only one.

“Oh, come on, that was a mediocre play at best,” Yang said, rolling her eyes.

“And there's more to leadership than that,” Pyrrha nodded. “His ego is insufferable.”

“So, you know what I think?” Cardin asked, pacing in front of the stage. “I think everyone here works way too hard to keep sitting around, bored. How often do pizza parties happen? Like, maybe once every other month? Nah, if I'm president, I'll make sure we get them every other week. I'm sure you're all aware, I've got the money to fund it myself if I have to. And on the note of funding, have you seen our gym equipment? What is this, 1990? We need an upgrade. And I happen to be great at organizing fundraisers. In fact, _when_ I get elected, and I set up our gym fund, I'll match every buck donated to that bad boy. And I don't just mean our weight room. Track, basketball, tennis, where y'all at?”

Several students stood, cheering.

“Look at all these athletes, they need way better gear. Last month, we had six basketballs pop during P. E. and that's pitiful. Look at these two,” Cardin said, flicking his head to Robyn and Marrow. “They can't get funding done to save their lives. I, on the other hand, can get any department the funding it needs, and the only other candidate that could do that just flushed his campaign down the toilet. Theater kids, how would you like better props and a newer sound system? Let me hear it!”

Cheering boomed from the crowd.

“Chess club, come on, I know you nerds are out there. Most of the boards are falling apart, and come on, those things look like they were bought at a dollar store. How about we set you up with some decent boards? Yeah?”

More cheering.

“Every club, committee, and department out there needs to get itself off the ground, because, let's be honest. This school has been needing funding. You vote Marrow in, and maybe he'll shift focus for the year he's here. Robyn Hill? Seriously? Come on, she'll maybe get a few new rules in that will be written out in a year or two. But this funding, the improvements I can make around here, that'll still be around when kids that are in preschool now come here. And if I'm not enough to convince you, feel free to ask my buddy Russel, who is gonna be my VP, what I did for the football team when I joined. Hint, hint, we've never lost a game since. You wanna get this place better funds? Vote Winchester.”

Cardin dropped the mic onto the ground and backed off, grinning as a vast majority of the school cheered for him.

“If he's really so adamant on funding things better, he could just do it,” Blake snapped. “We already have fundraisers, and the school accepts donations. This was never about funding.”

“Yeah, but he's making his point clear,” Yang said. “He can buy this election, and he was right about one thing. The only other person that could buy this election just dropped out.”

* * *

Weiss looked at her phone as she walked, looking back over the texts.

 _'I'm sorry, I've thought about it some more, and I will be finding another VP,'_ Weiss had sent.

 _'Are you serious, man?'_ Henry had sent.

 _'Wow,'_ Melanie had sent.

 _'Yes, I'm serious. I take this seriously, and you're not the best choice for my VP. My choice is final,'_ Weiss had sent.

 _'Good luck with that,'_ Henry had sent. _'You know what? I don't want anything to do with you. Between this and how you've treated Melanie and Miltia, we all deserve a better friend than you.'_

 _'Fine by me,'_ Weiss had sent, before closing the texts. She sighed, putting her phone back in her pocket.

“So all of that, just to drop out?” Henry scoffed, as she walked past him.

“What do you care?” Weiss snapped, turning back to face him.

“I'm just saying, you're not making any sense. Your excuse for all of this was that you're focused on the election. Clearly, that wasn't true, so what was it?” Henry snapped. Several students slowed around them to watch the argument. The Malachites, Nebula, Harriet, and Coco were all among them.

“Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I just don't like any of you?” Weiss asked. “The gossip. The bullying. The shallow, elitist garbage you all constantly push, I've never wanted any of it, and I'm done dealing with it.”

“You sound like _Sam_ ,” Henry scoffed, crossing his arms. Weiss glared at him, taking in a deep breath. Everyone around them was silent, not wanting to miss out on any gossip.

Now was her chance to take a step, a real step, something that made her stance clear. She hadn't fully stood up for Mercury, she had just blown off the topic.

“ _Her_ name is _May_ ,” Weiss said, not blinking as she stared him down. “And if I'm being perfectly honest, I feel sorry for her, for having to deal with people like you on a regular basis.”

“I never would have thought you'd be the SJW type,” Henry rolled his eyes.

“Ugh, I'm embarrassed I ever associated with you,” Melanie snapped, closing her locker.

“Is it worth it? Siding with all of them?” Miltia asked, stepping over to Weiss. “Did you think they'd pity you?”

“It's not about pity,” Weiss said.

“Yeah, sure,” Henry rolled his eyes. “Have a nice life.”

Henry shoved past her, storming off, followed by the Malachite twins.

“Damn,” Cardin chuckled from the crowd. “I mean, I don't know why you committed social suicide, but it helped my campaign a lot, so thanks, I guess.”

“Shut up,” Weiss spat. “Let me get something straight. My falling out with them doesn't mean for even a single moment that I'm going to side with you. I would vote for Robyn or Marrow a hundred times over before I'd let you get elected.”

“Ooh, tough words from a loser like you,” Cardin laughed. “For all you talk about taking sides, you really can't look around, can you?”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss snapped.

“You just made yourself free game,” Cardin said, shoving her back and smirking as she tripped. “Look around. The elite aren't gonna help you. And those freaks you tried to pander to? They're not in your corner, either.”

Weiss glanced over at Coco as she stood, and was unsurprising to see that Cardin was right. Coco, and Flynt behind her, were both looking at her just like they had before.

Aside from Winter and Ciel, who were miles away, Weiss was truly alone. She would be alone here, and she would be alone at home, _with Jacques_.

And no one within city limits would lift even a finger to help her. She took a deep breath, trying not to let tears leave her eyes.

“Like I said, it has nothing to do with sides,” she said, picking up her books from the ground. Cardin laughed as she walked off, hoping the rest of the day would go by quickly.

* * *

Yang and Ruby walked past Warren on the way into Ironwood's classroom, eighth period having come to a close.

“Hey,” Yang said, as they passed him. Warren turned, irritated.

“What?” Warren snapped.

“What was all that about, during the assembly?” Yang asked.

“Funny enough, it's none of your business,” he said, before turning to storm off once more. Yang rolled her eyes.

“That was... weird,” Ruby said.

“Yeah,” Yang said, before approaching Ironwood.

“Yang,” Ironwood said, while organizing homework assignments. “Ruby. Is there anything I can help either of you with?”

“Yeah,” Yang said, taking a seat. “I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about Raven Branwen.”

Ironwood turned to give Yang more direct attention.

“Coach Goodwitch told me you might be coming by to ask. Unfortunately, I can't really tell you anything she hasn't already,” Ironwood said.

“Were you traveling, too?” Yang asked.

“No, I was still in college,” Ironwood said.

“I thought you'd all graduated by that point,” Ruby said.

“We had all graduated BSU,” Ironwood said. “I was furthering my education at Atlas University, a while outside of Boise.”

“Alright,” Yang said. “But is there anything you noticed, anything weird, about when she vanished?”

Ironwood clasped his hands together on his desk.

“No, there wasn't,” he said.

Yang sighed, standing.

“Fine,” Yang snapped, turning to leave.

“Yang,” Ruby said, hopping up after her. “Look, I know you wanna find out what happened, but it kinda looks like she really did just...”

“She didn't just abandon me,” Yang said, as they stepped back out into the hallway. “She can't have abandoned me. It doesn't add up.”

Ruby scratched the back of her head, awkwardly.

“Yang,” Ruby said, concerned.

“I'm not crazy, or stupid,” Yang said. “I know how this looks, but I feel it in my gut. Something is really wrong here.”

“Okay,” Ruby said. “Then we'll keep looking.”

* * *

“You did _what?_ ” Jacques roared, causing Weiss to flinch. She mustered what courage she could. She was out of patience with _his_ control over her. Whitley watched from the dining room, as Weiss scrubbed dishes, while also arguing with their father.

“I withdrew,” Weiss said. “Because this isn't what I wanted.”

“This isn't about what you _want_ , it's about what you _need_ ,” Jacques barked.

“What I need is to be around people that aren't two-faced,” Weiss argued. “And I know for a fact that _not being president_ isn't a death sentence. This may come as a shock to you, but quite a few students at that school aren't president, they aren't even on the student council, and astonishingly, they're still okay.”

Jacques glared down at her, irritated with her attitude.

“How many of those students are set to inherit a fortune five hundred company?” Jacques asked. “You don't think things through, just like your fool of a sister.”

Weiss felt her temper flare.

“Winter knows _leagues_ more about real life than you do,” Weiss spat.

Before she could say another word, she felt the back of his hand strike her face, and she stepped back. Her cheek burned, and she felt tears well up in her eyes. She heard the cup she had dropped shatter at her feet, and pain welled in her ankles as small pieces of glass grazed her.

“I don't know where this attitude came from, but you clearly need to learn that your shortsighted mistakes aren't to be tolerated. This behavior is extremely disappointing.”

“My behavior?” Weiss snapped. “You're supposed to care about _my_ well-being, my interests. When have you ever cared about anything other than yourself?”

“I'm handing you the best future imaginable!” Jacques retorted. “I'm setting you up for success, and so far, all you've been good for is disrespecting everything I've ever done for you!”

“What you've done for me? You've decided every step of a future that you want, not me!” Weiss said. “I just want to live _my_ life.”

“You wouldn't have a life if it wasn't for me. You're my son, you wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for me,” Jacques said. Weiss winced at his words, only getting angrier. “This is frankly absurd behavior. You're sixteen years old, you're practically a man at this point.”

“I never wanted to be one!” Weiss blurted out, before she could stop herself.

Several seconds of silence passed, in which Weiss realized what she had just said.

“What did you just say?” Jacques asked. Weiss didn't respond, so he spoke up again. “Because it sounds to me like you just said you don't want to be a _man_.”

Weiss took a deep breath.

“I don't,” she said. “That's not who I am, and it never was.”

“Who you are,” Jacques rolled his eyes. “I knew it. I knew when she put you in a dress, years ago, that she _broke_ you.”

Weiss' heart felt like it was being torn apart at his words. She had always known he would never accept her, but hearing it confirmed was something she hadn't been ready for.

“She didn't break me!” Weiss said, as soon as she got her willpower to speak back.

“Really? Then what would you call this degeneracy?” Jacques scoffed. Weiss flinched once more, trying as hard as she could to turn her fear and hurt into anger.

“Why can't you just accept me for who I am?” Weiss asked, her voice wavering. She felt like her blood vessels had frozen solid. Her legs felt like jelly, her heart pounded like a machine gun against her ribs.

“You are my son,” Jacques said. “A man. Even if you're deluded enough to think otherwise.”

Weiss turned away, trying to retreat back to her room, but Jacques grabbed her arm before she could make it more than a step.

“I'm not done speaking with you,” Jacques said. “Clean up the glass you broke.”

“No,” Weiss said. “I'm done speaking with _you_.”

His grip on her shoulder tightened as he glared down at her.

“This is very unlike you,” he spat. “What gave you the impression that this degree of disrespect was acceptable?”

“The crazy idea that I'm not your property,” Weiss replied.

“You _are_ my property,” Jacques said. “I own you. I own every single one of your belongings. I own your records, your past. I own your school as long as I make the right donations here or there. I own your future as long as I have the connections that I do.”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss scoffed.

“You want to go off and get some pitiful career elsewhere? I can ensure that you would never be hired. You would be blacklisted. If you're not my property, then what are you?” he growled.

Weiss tried to yank her arm from his grip.

“I'm a person,” she spat. “And I'll never be what you want.”

Jacques' face turned red with anger. He shoved her to the ground.

“You will clean up your mess,” he said. Weiss was extremely lucky, as she had missed all the glass when she was pushed. A few inches from where her head had hit the ground was a long fragment of glass, with the sharp side facing directly up. She caught her breath as he spoke. “You will finish your chores, then you will return to your room to continue your personal assignments. If you thought you had a lot before, you have no idea how much work I will bury you under after this. After all, without the election to worry about, you have a lot more free time, don't you?”

Weiss tried to get up, and began to speak a retort, getting about a syllable out when Jacques' foot hit her back, pushing her back down.

Before, she had been lucky enough to miss the glass.

But this time, her change of luck was punctuated by a scream of agony, tearing through the house.

Time at that point became fuzzy and disorienting, she picked up pieces of what was going on but couldn't formulate the full picture.

Blood was everywhere.

She couldn't see out of her left eye.

She was screaming in pain, as the world spun around her.

She could hear Jacques yelling at her, telling her to get up.

She caught a glimpse of Whitley.

He didn't look cocky as usual.

_He looked worried._

And then her vision went dark, and all she could see was flashing stars.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick end note, I wanted to give a thanks to everyone that's commented so far (aside from a few transphobic jabs I keep getting). Yall are the reason I keep writing, the reason I keep uploading, and I hope you all know every comment I approve is one I greatly enjoyed reading.


	14. Help Is On the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake's concern grows as Weiss' condition worsens, and she starts to consider putting aside her dislike for the girl in order to help her... but if Weiss won't accept her help, there is only so much Blake can do.   
> Yang finally resorts to following Blake's lead in the search for Raven Branwen, for better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for the usual transphobia, bullying, and discussions about what might have happened to Raven Branwen, a hospital scene, gaslighting and manipulation, intense depression, mentions of physical, verbal, and emotional abuse, and neglect, starvation, mentions of illegal drugs, discussion related to serving alcohol to minors, as well as minors employed as waitresses in a club.

  
  


When Weiss came to, she was in a hospital bed. She felt like she weighed a ton, like her body was superglued to the bed. A massive bandage covered the left half of her face.

She could smell that hospital chemical smell, like a mix of cleaning chemicals and iodine.

Everything she could see and hear was off. Her vision was blurred, making it hard to make out any details. All of the noises she could pick up were muffled, words weren't making sense. She could hear a faint beeping, which she recognized as a heart monitor.

What she really felt, however, was cold. The room felt absolutely frigid, it was like ice water was in her veins.

It took her longer than she'd like to admit for her to realize that was because she was hooked up to an IV, which was giving the faintest sting in her arm.

“Hello, Warren,” a voice said, and she turned to see a doctor sitting next to her.

He was wearing the signature blue scrubs with a lab coat over them, and he had a stethoscope around his neck. As her vision came back to her, she picked up on more details. He had wavy hair, which was a dark brown shade. She could make out the lanyard he was wearing, she saw the words _Dr. John Dorian_.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, as she made out more of her surroundings.

“Floaty,” she giggled, feeling as if she was wrapped in a blanket of clouds.

“That's your medicine kicking in,” Dr. Dorian said. “You'll come back down in a few minutes. Don't worry, your father told us everything.”

Weiss couldn't explain it, but something seemed off when he mentioned her father. She thought back to how she had gotten here, trying to remember what happened. The last thing she could recall was on a stage, walking past Cardin Winchester.

Wait, no, now she could remember getting off the bus, walking home.

And doing the dishes-

Her father, he had hurt her.

“He... he told you what happened?” Weiss asked, rubbing her eye with the hand that didn't have an IV.

“Yes, he explained that you fell while doing some dishes,” Dr. Dorian said.

“That's not right,” Weiss said, desperately trying to get more coherence back. Dr. Dorian raised an eyebrow, and Weiss thought over her next words.

Dr. Dorian looked like he might legitimately be able to help.

“We had a fight, and he pushed me,” Weiss said. “He... he gets violent when he's angry.”

Dr. Dorian gave her a sympathetic look.

“I'm sure right now things look intentional. It's pretty common to misremember traumatic events like this,” Dr. Dorian said.

“I'm not misremembering,” Weiss said. “I tried to get up, and he pushed me back down, that's when I hit the glass.”

“Like I said, it's common to remember things incorrectly. Luckily, your eye will be just fine. You will probably have a permanent scar from this, but long term, your vision should be just fine. We're going to keep you here for a few hours to make sure you're not suffering any other symptoms, but you should be good to go home soon, alright?”

And with that, he got up.

Weiss was thinking clearly now, she didn't feel fuzzy or disoriented anymore. And she knew for a fact what had happened...

She watched in alarm as he walked away, until she realized she had miscalculated.

She could have kicked herself.

Jacques made regular donations to this hospital, he had an immense amount of sway.

He really had meant what he had said. As long as he had money and connections, he truly could do whatever he wanted.

There was really no escape. How could she get away from someone with this much power, this much influence? No one here would help her, not unless they wanted Jacques Schnee as their enemy, which she doubted very much.

She reached over to the table beside her bed, hoping to find a phone, but there was nothing.

Obviously Jacques wouldn't have left her phone here for her.

She felt even more alone than before.

Without her phone, she couldn't reach Winter, probably the only person who would do anything to help her right now.

She thought back to the decisions that had led to this.

Before all of this, Henry, Melanie, and Miltia might have at least shown some sympathy. Now, they would probably be the first to laugh at her scar.

Blake? May? Yang? It was incredibly unlikely the few good decisions she had made would be enough to make up for the years of awful behavior in their eyes.

No one was here to help.

Jacques could do anything he wanted, and she was trapped in his clutches. Aside from Winter and maybe Ciel, no one would even care if Jacques took it further, if one of these days he pushed Weiss but the injury wasn't just a scar on her eye.

She was stuck in a nightmare, and thanks to Jacques' determination, it would _never_ end.

* * *

Blake hadn't seen Warren in two days. Not since the day he had withdrawn from student elections. The last time she had seen him, he had simply gotten off the bus and returned home, without saying a word. She had heard, surprisingly, that Warren had defended May Marigold of all people in one of his last moments being seen.

And now he had been gone for two days.

Of course, things had moved on without him.

She luckily still hadn't heard from Adam, which she was immensely grateful for.

She and Yang still hadn't found any other leads, and they were bracing themselves to try Junior's club.

What surprised Blake, however, was when Warren showed up, that morning, after no one having heard from him for forty-eight hours.

He walked up to the bus stop, and Blake had never seen someone look so defeated.

He had an angry scar running from about an inch above his left eyebrow, to about an inch underneath the eye itself.

His hair at this point was long enough that it reached his eyebrows, which he was using to hide the upper half of his scar.

Both the upper and lower halves of the scar had butterfly bandages holding it shut, and it was obvious that it stung.

On top of that, he looked exhausted. Bags had formed under his eyes, and his movements were uncoordinated. Usually he stood, to avoid being close to Blake, but she didn't hesitate to make space for him to sit this time.

“Warren, what happened?” Blake asked, astonished at his state.

He took a seat, slowly and carefully, as if he expected Blake to shove him off at any moment.

“Nothing,” he muttered.

“You look awful,” Blake said.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Where have you been?” Blake asked. Warren looked up, and Blake couldn't make out what emotions were crossing his expression.

“Why do you care?” Warren asked. “We've hated each other since we met, what's different now?”

“I'm still capable of empathy,” Blake said. “And you're clearly not okay.”

Warren buried his face in his hands, wincing as he realized that maybe touching the left side of his face was a mistake.

“What happened is what always happens. You wanted to know why I act like I did? This is the kind of treatment I get if I don't,” Warren said.

Blake felt repulsed as she realized what he meant.

“You mean... your father did this?” she asked.

“If you ask him, he'll just say I fell,” Warren said.

“I don't understand, he forces you to act-”

“I don't care if you understand, believe whatever you want,” Warren interrupted. “It makes no difference to me.”

“But I'm trying to understand,” Blake said.

The bus came around the corner as Blake spoke, and she could see Warren shrink away as it did.

“You look exhausted,” Blake said.

“Just mind your own business,” Warren said, standing. Blake didn't know how to react.

He was pushing her away, but at the same time, she didn't feel right leaving anyone to a clearly abusive situation, even someone she didn't trust.

She would have to wait to find out more of what he meant, however, because he hurried off to sit alone on the bus.

She couldn't help but notice that the Malachite twins wasted no time making him the topic of their conversation.

* * *

Weiss felt incredibly disoriented as she fumbled through her day. Since getting home from the hospital, she had gotten maybe three hours of sleep, thanks to all of Jacques' absurd assignments. He assigned textbook after textbook. Math, business, economics, anything he considered important for her 'learning to run a business'.

She was extremely fortunate in that Jacques was completely ignoring the matter of her being trans. He simply pretended she had never mentioned it, and she wasn't eager to bring it up, either.

He was cutting back on her meals as well, as a way of punishing her for the fight. She didn't generally have a huge appetite, but on the diet Jacques mandated, she still felt like she was on the verge of starvation.

To top off the storm of chaos she was stuck in, no matter how much she wanted to accept Blake's help, she couldn't bring herself to. She knew that after years of bullying people, she didn't deserve help.

Having finally gotten her phone back, she was immensely grateful Jacques hadn't thought to go through it, and she was incredibly relieved to see that her selfies from Winter's house were still there.

She fell into a routine as the next several days went by. It took a lot of getting used to, but she began to grow accustomed to two hours of sleep per night. She started to adjust to her only meals being the ones the school provided, except on the weekends, when Klein was able to convince Jacques to allow her a sandwich each day. It was hell, but it was one she was learning to deal with.

Blake didn't try to get her to open up during that time either, which Weiss didn't know how to feel about. Should she have been happy? Blake was leaving her alone, as requested. That was a good thing... right?

Weiss felt completely conflicted on whether or not to accept her help. She desperately wanted a friend she could regularly talk to about this, but after what had happened, she couldn't shake the feeling that the moment she opened up, Jacques would swoop in and destroy any progress she had made.

So, Monday afternoon, when Weiss had been on the way home, she had been trying to keep to herself. It was going relatively well until Weiss stepped off the bus, and-

“Hey,” Blake said, startling Weiss from her thoughts.

Weiss turned, still absolutely exhausted from her hellish schedule.

“Yeah?” Weiss muttered.

“Listen, I know you wanted me to leave you alone, and if you still want that, I can try,” Blake said. “But you've been, like, a whole different person lately. You don't answer questions in class anymore, and you consistently seem like you're on the verge of passing out.”

“And?” Weiss asked. Blake sighed.

“I'd really like to try to put our differences aside. You need help, Warren,” Blake said.

Weiss' resistance had been crumbling, and until that last sentence, Weiss had been on the verge of finally accepting her help.

And then, _that name._

Weiss immediately pulled back.

She knew it wasn't Blake's fault. She didn't know any other name for her.

It didn't change how vile Weiss felt the second it was spoken.

“I'm fine,” Weiss snapped. “I can take care of myself.”

“Can you?” Blake asked. “Because it seems to me you're doing worse each day.”

“And I'm sure you're more than happy to see it,” Weiss spat.

_What am I doing? Am I really attacking the person that actually wants to help me?_

Her head spun, the ground seemed to tilt around her, and she had to grab the nearby STOP sign for support as she caught her bearings.

“No, I'm not,” Blake said.

“This is, like, karma to you, isn't it? The evil Schnee getting exactly what he deserves?” Weiss said, feeling herself grow more bitter with each word.

“Warren,” Blake said, letting out a groan of frustration.

“Just leave me alone!” Weiss interrupted. Each time Blake used that name, she felt herself grow more defensive. She'd normally be more logical about it, but she was tired, and hungry, and scared, and so stressed she felt like she was about to burst into tears.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

“Fine,” Blake eventually said. “I'm just trying to help you, but if you're so determined to deal with it alone, then be my guest.”

Blake turned and started to walk away.

Weiss instantly felt the pang of regret, followed by her days-old headache getting worse.

She realized quickly that sending away the only help around may not have just been emotionally irresponsible, now it was a physical threat, too.

She knew the moment she let go of the sign, she would be almost completely unable to maintain her footing.

But as much as she wanted to ask Blake for help, another fear crossed her mind.

Now that she'd acted like she had, wouldn't it be manipulative to let herself fall?

Her head throbbed in agony. She felt so dizzy, so nauseous, it was like she was riding a roller coaster while standing still.

She did everything she could to hang onto the sign until Blake turned a corner, and passed out of her sight.

Then she slumped to the ground, pulling out her phone and dialing Klein's number.

“Good afternoon, Master Warren,” Klein answered immediately. She hadn't even heard a single ring, and her heart felt a little bit warmer that Klein was so quick to come to her aid.

“Hello, Klein. I'm afraid I'm feeling very unwell, could I get a ride back to the manor? I'm at my bus stop,” Weiss said.

“Absolutely, sir,” Klein said. Weiss winced as Klein spoke, desperately wanting, just for once, for at the very least, non-gendered terms to be used. She knew feminine terms were absolutely out of reach, so right now, she would be happy simply to stop being spoken to in masculine terms.

“Thank you, Klein,” Weiss said.

* * *

Blake couldn't understand why Warren had been so determined to refuse her help. Perhaps some irritating macho pride thing.

She was done offering.

It would be one thing if he simply said no, but the fact that he was so rude about it just drove home how entitled he was.

She pulled out her phone, calling Ilia, who she hadn't spoken to in almost a week now.

“Sup,” Ilia said, from the other end.

“Ilia,” Blake said. “Something weird has been going on, and I wanna know what you think about it.”

“Shoot,” Ilia said.

“So, I'm sure you remember the election speeches from last week,” Blake said.

“Yeah,” Ilia said. “Is this about Robyn's amazing speech, Cardin's bullshit one, Marrow's mediocre one, or Warren's absolute fumble?”

“Warren,” Blake said. “It's really unlike him to just... do all of that.”

“Yeah, weird shit,” Ilia said. “Definitely didn't see it coming. I wouldn't read into it, though. Rich kids have meltdowns. I don't really feel any sympathy.”

“There's more,” Blake said. “You know May Marigold?”

“Yeah, I hang out with May and her girlfriends every now and then,” she said. “She's cool.”

“Apparently after Warren threw the election, he got into a fight with Henry in the halls. Henry deadnamed May, and _Warren_ of all people corrected him,” Blake said.

“Really?” Ilia asked bitterly. “Huh. Shame he wasn't that protective when his sister threw me out like moldy trash.”

“I know, right? It's super unlike him, except a few weeks ago, something similar happened. A rumor got started that Mercury, one of the kids in my grade, is a trans guy. Apparently Warren was there when it started, but when the twins asked him to bring it up, he kinda snapped at them,” Blake said.

“Blake,” Ilia said, concerned. “Don't do this. Listen, the Schnees are all selfish, manipulative pricks. They don't do shit like this unless they have a specific reason to.”

“But there's more I need to bring up,” Blake said. “After the whole thing with May, we all went home, and he vanished for two days after that, and when he came back, he had a huge scar on his eye. He's seemed really off, like he's sick. None of this makes any sense, I don't get it.”

“Holy shit,” Ilia said, after a moment.

“What?” Blake asked.

“I... listen, I can't say. A bunch of things just... clicked for me. I might be wrong, and honestly it's not my place to tell you,” Ilia said.

“Now you're not making any sense,” Blake said.

“Remind me, you said this kid's name was Mercury?” Ilia asked.

“The- yeah,” Blake said, flustered. “What is going on, Ilia?”

“Blake, I need you to trust me,” Ilia said. “I want to share this with you, believe me. But it isn't for me to say.”

Blake rolled her eyes, overwhelmed.

“Okay,” Blake said, walking into her house. “Fine. Just please let me know if you can.”

“If I can, you'll be the first person to hear about it, I promise,” Ilia said.

Blake sighed, before hanging up and sitting down in her room.

Tex looked up at her, and gave a soft _'mew'_.

“Believe me, I get it,” Blake said, scrolling through her phone.

“ _Mew”_

“You're not wrong,” Blake said, giving a slight smile.

* * *

Weiss knew she would be home incredibly quickly, as it wasn't a far drive. She still took solace in every minute she had with Klein, who was far kinder than anyone else at the manor.

“Forgive me for asking,” Klein said. “But how has your eye been?”

“It's been healing,” Weiss sighed. “Slowly.”

“I do apologize for what happened,” Klein said.

“It's not your fault,” Weiss said. “I take it you probably cleaned up the glass afterwards?”

“That I did,” Klein said.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I know you didn't have a choice, but I still appreciate your work.”

Klein gave her a warm smile, and again, she felt a little safer.

Weiss immediately realized something, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she tried to figure out how to word her suspicions.

“Klein?” Weiss asked.

“Yes?” Klein said.

“Did you overhear the argument between my father and I?” Weiss asked.

“Bits and pieces,” Klein admitted.

“How... much... did you overhear?” Weiss asked.

“Enough that I'd like to apologize,” Klein said. Weiss cocked her head, confused. “When I answered the phone, I was within earshot of Jacques, otherwise I would have used different terms.”

Weiss couldn't believe her ears.

“Wait... really?” Weiss asked. “But... don't you think less of me?”

Klein looked mortified.

“I could never think less of you!” Klein said. “Between you and I, the only one I think less of right now is my employer.”

“R-really?” Weiss asked.

“Any man who would be so violent to his own children isn't worth respecting, in my opinion,” Klein said. “But you're the one I'm worried about at the moment. When Jacques isn't listening in, what should I use to refer to you?”

“I...” Weiss stammered, astonished. “Um... Weiss. My name is Weiss, and I... I use she/her pronouns.”

“Very well, Miss Schnee,” Klein said.

Maybe it was the emotional hell Weiss had been through over the last few days, maybe it was the lack of nutrition and rest, maybe it was just desperation for people to refer to Weiss correctly, or maybe it was a combination of all of the above, but as soon as Klein said those words, Weiss was unable to hold in the emotional tsunami that had built up.

Her lower lip quivered, tears streamed from her eyes before she could stop them, and within seconds, she had buried her face in her hands.

“Have I said something wrong?” Klein asked.

“No,” Weiss sobbed. “You said everything right. I just... it hurts, Klein. Every time people call me Warren, it feels so... vile. I hate it, and I never want to be called that ever again.”

“I'm so sorry, Miss Schnee,” Klein said. “Would you like me to take the scenic route for a minute?”

“Yes, please,” Weiss said, loathing the idea of walking back into that house.

“If there's anything I can do to help, Miss Schnee, please don't hesitate to ask,” Klein said.

* * *

Electronic music blared in Yang's ears as she stepped through the doors of the nightclub. The vibrant strobe-lights made her eyes ache, and she already felt like she was about to cough on the steam that filled the club, specifically for the purpose of making the lightshows more prominent.

This was the kind of scene she enjoyed, but in her current mood, she wasn't about to join the partying.

She almost thought the club looked like something out of a cyberpunk movie or game. The walls and counter were pitch black, and the only detail in most of the club were the white or red luminescent lights on most of the surfaces around.

Across the club, a DJ clearly impersonating Deadmau5 mixed the music, which was loud enough it probably could have shattered glass.

And directly in front of her, two very familiar twins stood, blocking her from making it further in.

“I didn't figure you two would be the type to hang out here,” Yang said.

“We work here,” Melanie Malachite said. “What's your excuse?”

“I need some information, and I've been told I can find it here,” Yang said. Miltia scoffed, folding her arms.

“Then come back when you're twenty-one,” Miltia said. “You-”

“Miltia,” an annoyed voice called from the bar. “If you're done harassing my patrons, table six needs a refill.”

Miltia rolled her eyes and turned to walk off.

“I doubt you should be standing around, either,” Yang said, glaring at Melanie.

“Junior,” Melanie said, turning around to approach the man behind the bar.

The man in question was one of the tallest people Yang had ever seen. He was well-dressed, like most of the employees. He wore a black vest over a white top, with a red bowtie. His hair was black, and cut short. He had a very well trimmed mustache and beard.

“Yeah?” Junior asked, as Melanie walked back.

“You should know,” Melanie said, as Yang took a seat at the bar. “She's sixteen, she goes to school with Miltia and I.”

“Got it,” Junior said. “Table three needs to be wiped down.”

Melanie cringed as she walked off, and Junior turned to face Yang.

“Hate to break it to you, blondie, but I don't serve minors,” Junior said.

“You employ them,” Yang said. “And from what I've heard, you help people deal to them.”

Junior smirked, giving her his full attention.

“If you're pulling out all the stops, you must really be serious,” Junior said. “If you're wanting anything alcoholic, or... recreational, we-”

“No,” Yang said. “I need information, and I've been told you're the best around.”

Junior nodded.

“You heard right. I'll be up front, depending on the info, it can take some time to find. If it's simple, I can probably get it to you within a week. If it's not, it could take months,” Junior said. “And it doesn't come cheap, either.”

“I'm not exactly broke,” Yang said. “I'm trying to find her.”

She pulled the photograph of Raven out of her jacket pocket, putting it down on the counter.

“How recent is this?” Junior asked, picking it up.

“It's about sixteen years old,” Yang said.

“Gotcha,” Junior said. “Heartwarming, looking for your mom, then?”

“Yeah,” Yang said, already getting annoyed.

“Well, let's see what I can do,” Junior said. “Mind if I scan a copy?”

“Go ahead,” Yang said. Junior nodded, waving over another employee.

“Go scan this,” he said, handing him the photo. “Alright, the more information you can get me, the more likely I can find her quickly.”

“Her name's Raven Branwen,” Yang said. Junior nodded, writing it on a note on his phone. “She was born in New Plymouth. She disappeared six months after I was born, and none of her family knows what happened.”

“How old was she when she went missing?” Junior asked.

“Twenty-three,” Yang said. “So if she's still alive now, she'll be around thirty-nine.”

“Where did she go to school?” Junior asked.

“Uh,” Yang said. “She went to South Junior High, then for High School, she went to Capitol. She graduated from BSU when she was twenty-two.”

“What was her major?” Junior asked.

“United States History,” Yang said.

“Know anyone she associated with?” Junior asked.

“Aside from her family, only a few friends of the family that don't know anything more than I do,” Yang sighed.

“Alright. It might be a few months, but I'll look into this,” Junior said. “Provided we set up a payment plan.”

“Okay,” Yang said.

“For something like this, I'd say fifty now as a consultation,” Junior said. “If I can't find her, you won't pay any extra. If I do find her, for a search like this, five hundred.”

“Deal,” Yang said. “Here.”

She took out two twenty dollar bills and an additional ten dollar bill, and handed them to him. He handed back the photograph in the process.

“Got a phone number I can use to let you know if there's an update?” Junior asked.

“Yeah,” Yang said. “208-555-2337.”

“Alright,” Junior said. “Anything happens to that number, you'll need to get ahold of me to give me your new one.”

Yang nodded, and stepped back.

“Thanks,” she said, before turning to walk out.

* * *

Blake had just finished her geology homework, and hadn't put any of it away, when she got a call.

“Hello?” Blake asked, holding the phone to her ear as she stood up to stretch.

“Hey,” Yang said. “I just talked to Junior. He said it might take a few months.”

“I'm sorry it's not quicker,” Blake sighed. “I'm also sorry I couldn't come with.”

“No,” Yang said. “I wasn't gonna take you there, not somewhere that bastard might be.”

Blake sat on her bed, letting it sink in that Yang cared that much.

“Thank you, Yang,” Blake said. “I really appreciate that.”

“I'd never do that to you,” Yang said.

A few seconds passed, before Blake decided to try to start a new topic, not wanting the slightly awkward silence to continue.

“So I've been real weirded out by something,” Blake said.

“Okay?” Yang asked.

“I'm not the only one that thinks everything that happened with Warren is really weird, right?” Blake asked.

“Oh, no way,” Yang said. “Lot of shit going on with that kid.”

“Okay, to start, what was with that speech?” Blake asked.

“I dunno,” Yang said. “I didn't go to Junior High with him, I've only known him a year, but this was outta left field. Penny went to Junior High with him, though, and she said this isn't like anything he ever did there.”

“And endorsing Marrow, of all people,” Blake said. “I would have thought he'd endorse Cardin.”

“Nah, the nerds and jocks have always hated each other,” Yang said. “Honestly, if there was anyone there he'd endorse, Marrow's the least surprising.”

“Okay, I guess that makes sense,” Blake said. “Did you hear about May, though?”

“You mean Warren standing up for her? Yeah, that didn't make any sense,” Yang said. “Only thing I can think is some half-assed attempt to get sympathy from May and her friends, since he basically just told all his old friends to kick rocks. Did he ever say what happened to his eye?”

“Yeah,” Blake said. “According to him, his dad did that to him.”

“Whoa,” Yang said. “You think he was telling the truth?”

“I've heard a lot about Jacques Schnee,” Blake said. “It wouldn't surprise me if he was an abusive asshole.”

“Yeah, and honestly that'd explain a lot about Warren's behavior. Don't people usually lash out if they're being treated like shit?” Yang asked.

“Different people react differently, but yeah,” Blake said.

“Jesus, and if his dad would actually take it that far,” Yang began.

“I don't like it either,” Blake said. “But I'm not sure what to do.”

Blake wrinkled her nose and sat up in alarm, looking over to her desk. Tex was crouched on her textbook, much to Blake's horror.

“Tex, no!” Blake cried out, hopping up.

“You okay?” Yang asked.

“Ugh,” Blake said, looking down at her textbook, which was now stained a sandy yellow shade. “No. Tex just ruined my geology book.”

“Shit,” Yang said. “Is it gonna be okay?”

“No,” Blake sighed, disgusted. “I'm gonna need a new one. And they're not cheap.”

“Shit,” Yang said. “Listen, I can help a bit, I've got some money coming in.”

“Are you sure?” Blake asked.

“Of course,” Yang said. “We'll get you a new one tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comments for the last chapter were all amazing, and I appreciate each and every one. I'm considering leaving endnotes more regularly from this point, to communicate more with all of you. Feel free to let me know if you'd prefer that, or if it'd be better for me to refrain from doing so.   
> Thank you for reading chapter 14, I've almost got chapter 15 ready, so it should be out within a day if all goes well.


	15. Melting the Ice Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days of malnutrition and exhausting take a toll on Weiss, and to make matters worse, her rivals have no intention on slowing down. Her only help at the moment is from a source she never expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another dark chapter, in fact, the next several chapters will probably go into some dark territory.   
> TW this chapter for malnutrition, exhaustion, neglect, child abuse, transphobia, vomiting, self harm, suicidal ideation, discussions related to suicide, homophobia, mentions of being disowned, dysphoria, and a graphic description of someone passing out.

  
  


The only description Weiss could have mustered to describe the sensation of her alarm clock ringing out, was complete and utter, nauseating, _agony_.

She had gotten about an hour and a half of sleep, and was, of course, just as hungry as she had been the last several days.

Just lifting her hands enough to stop the angry screeching of the alarm was like trying to lift a hundred pounds with a single hand, but she forced herself to do it, so that the earsplitting cacophony of screeching would stop threatening to tear her head in half.

Unfortunately, the headache didn't stop when the noise did.

Weiss legitimately felt like she had been stabbed in the head, she had never felt a migraine this powerful before in her life. And as if that wasn't enough, she felt so queasy that if she had any food in her, surely she would be vomiting it up, right at that moment.

Her stomach twinged and rebelled in some sort of malicious harmony with her head, feeling so empty Weiss felt as if she would snap in half if she leaned forward at all. The room was spinning, tilting, rotating like an electron orbiting an atom, faster than she could keep up.

And yet, she knew she would have to power through this.

The only two sick days she had ever taken were the ones she had been required to so that her scar could heal. Jacques Schnee wasn't the type to allow any kind of failure, and that included attendance.

She looked down at her homework as she slowly sat up, hoping the hours she had poured into them last night would be enough to please her father.

She would have given anything in the world for the chance to go with Winter back to her apartment again, even just for a few hours.

Her feet touched the ground, and she slowly forced herself to stand, giving everything she had just to keep from keeling forward as the floor lurched under her.

Wait, it hadn't moved. She was just that ill.

She fell onto her hands and knees, unable to keep herself standing.

She tasted bile.

She retched, heaving as her body panicked in an attempt to get her to stop moving.

She felt the fresh scars on her legs burn as all of her muscles rapidly seized, every fiber of her being feeling as if a thousand volts coursed through them every second.

Nothing, however, came up. She felt the room twist around her, she just wanted it to _stop_.

She heard a soft knock on her door, which she couldn't find her voice in order to answer.

“Miss Schnee?” Klein asked softly, from the other side. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Weiss managed, as she forced herself to stand. “I'm alright.”

She was obviously lying, but Jacques would never tolerate her being unable to function, and she couldn't afford to upset him. She staggered towards her closet, putting on a robe as quickly as she could manage, then she turned to let Klein in.

“You really do look unwell,” Klein worried, as she invited him in. “I know your father isn't usually the type to allow-”

“He won't let me,” Weiss interrupted. “As far as he sees it, this is just a consequence of my shortcomings.”

Klein scowled, rolling his eyes.

“You're in no condition to attend school,” Klein argued.

“For what it's worth, I agree,” Weiss sighed, picking out a polo and khakis for the day. “But that doesn't matter. I just wish I could leave, for just a few hours.”

“To Winter's residence, I presume?” Klein asked. Weiss nodded. “I'll see if maybe I can get your father to agree to another weekend there.”

“I doubt he will,” Weiss said, rubbing her head as it throbbed in pain. “But feel free to try.”

“Do you need help getting to the bathroom?” Klein asked.

“No, I-” Weiss began, before stumbling. Klein quickly caught her, helping her back up. She felt the message her body was saying: _stop being stubborn_. “I'd like that, thank you.”

Klein helped her walk to the bathroom, and then gave her a worried look.

“Will you be okay to shower?” he asked.

“Yes,” Weiss nodded. “It should help all of this calm down.”

“Very well,” Klein said, still unconvinced. “Please be careful, Miss Schnee.”

* * *

“You've gotta be kidding me!” Yang said, as she leaned down to the puddle of mud she had turned to face. “Alright, it's official, I need a new backpack.”

Ruby scratched the back of her head, looking down.

“How much fell?” Ruby asked.

“Just my math book,” Yang sighed. “And, like, half of my homework.”

“Well, maybe textbooks are on sale right now?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, right,” Yang said, dropping the textbook after confirming there was no salvaging it. “You won't believe this, but this practically happened to Blake, too.”

“Huh,” Ruby said. “Wait, recently?”

“Literally last night,” Yang said.

“Whoa,” Ruby said. “Talk about the worst luck in the world.”

“Your luck could be worse,” Penny said from Ruby's other side, causing Ruby to jump.

“Hi, Penny!” Ruby said, once she recovered from her surprise.

“Hello, Ruby,” Penny said. “How has your morning been?”

“Better than Yang's,” Ruby said. Yang rolled her eyes.

“You're hilarious,” Yang said. “Really.”

“Hey,” Blake said, hurrying over from the bus stop. “I know I've been worrying about him a lot, but Warren didn't show up at the bus stop today.”

“Yeah,” Yang said. “I think that's why.”

She pointed across the parking lot, to a very well-kept Schnee Auto Company car. As they all looked, Warren stepped out of the car, and Yang immediately realized Blake just might have been right to worry.

Warren hadn't looked great lately, but today was a new low.

His hair wasn't combed, for one. It covered part of his eyes as he walked away from the car, at a much slower rate than usual. Warren had always been one of those people that walked alarmingly fast, but at this rate, Yang could probably walk circles around him and not have to speed up in the slightest.

“He... doesn't look great,” Ruby said.

“No, he doesn't,” Blake said.

“Word of advice,” Robyn said, as she walked past them from her bus. “Time spent worrying about a Schnee is time poorly spent.”

“That's fair,” Yang sighed as they all turned to start walking towards the school. “He's done some really cruel things.”

“Yeah, that's putting it lightly,” May said.

“Okay,” Blake said. “But he seems like he's been trying to do better.”

“What, you mean because he talked back to Henry?” May asked.

“It's not like anything he's done before,” Blake said.

“Yeah, that's my point,” May said. “Maybe he is trying to do better, but it'll take more than one good moment to make up for all of the bad.”

“I just... don't feel right, not doing anything about it,” Blake said. “This really doesn't seem right.”

“Then worry about him if you want, but I'm not going to,” May said.

Once they got inside, Yang noticed just how awful Warren looked.

He had dark circles under his eyes, and when faced with the bright light of the cafeteria, the boy seemed to wilt. He took a seat, alone, and immediately closed his eyes.

“So, you'll never guess who I ran into at Junior's club,” Yang said as they all sat. “The Malachite twins work there, and from the looks of things, they hate it there.”

“Wait, really?” Blake asked. “I never thought those two would go anywhere near somewhere like that.”

“Yeah, they seem way too stuck up for that,” Ruby said. “Weird.”

“It is strange to be on the other side of gossip,” Penny said. Yang froze, thinking over her words.

“Gossip?” Yang asked.

“Yes,” Penny nodded. “We are talking about something embarrassing that happened to Melanie and Miltia, behind their backs. Is that not gossip?”

“No, it's... it's different...” Yang said, slowly. “Shit, I think you're actually right.”

“I'm not comfortable with this topic anymore,” Blake agreed. “Um... Penny, you haven't talked much about what's been going on for you lately.”

“You... want me to talk about things?” Penny asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” Blake said. “I don't really know you that well.”

“People don't usually like me to talk about my interests,” Penny admitted.

“Well, we do,” Ruby said. “You're our friend, and that means we care about what you like, too.”

“Oh,” Penny said, still skeptical. “In that case, cheerleading has been going phenomenally. Coach Goodwitch has been incredibly happy with my performance, she even said yesterday that I may be able to compete for the spot of cheer captain soon.”

“That's amazing, didn't you, like, just join them?” Ruby exclaimed.

“I did,” Penny confirmed.

“You must be really good, then,” Ruby said.

“People often assume cheerleading is just about _cheering_ ,” Penny said. “It's actually more about balance and acrobatics than cheering. I personally hope to perform a liberty stunt or an arabesque this year, but that will depend on how much Coach Goodwitch allows us to do.”

“I don't know what those stunts are, but I bet you'll knock 'em out of the park,” Yang grinned.

“Oh, well, a liberty stunt is a simple one-leg stunt, with the other leg folded underneath, and obviously the cheerleader performing the stunt does so while being held up by their team. Arabesque is an immensely harder stunt, requiring extremely skilled balance and complete trust in your team. It involves pointing the leg back, and essentially stretching out one's pose with all of that balance hinging on a single foot. It is a dangerous pose, as not only can a balance error or one slipping cause the cheerleader to fall, but if one isn't properly warmed up and in a healthy state, it can cause immense harm to the hip if performed incorrectly,” Penny said. “I... I apologize, I have been talking too much, haven't I?”

Ruby immediately came to her aid.

“Penny, I love hearing you talk about things you're passionate about,” Ruby said. “I promise.”

“Thank you,” Penny said. “Usually people just tell me they do not care.”

“Well, those people sound like bad friends,” Ruby said. “If you care about something, then it matters to me, too.”

* * *

Weiss felt her pain worsen as the bell rang, echoing throughout the cafeteria. The room around her was as bright as the sun and as noisy as a football stadium, and she wanted to just hide somewhere dark and quiet for the rest of her life.

There was one, and only one thing on her mind right now: getting something to eat. The lines for breakfast were quickly forming, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stand for a long period of time. She joined the line, nervously fiddling with the strap of her backpack as she waited.

“What happened to you?” Henry scoffed, from behind her. “You look like you've been hit by a truck.”

“You seriously look pathetic,” Melanie agreed.

If there was one possible silver lining, it was that on her other side was the one person that shared her utter hatred for Henry: May Marigold.

“I hate to break it to you, but this side shaven look you've got going on isn't exactly bachelor material,” May retorted, folding her arms. “I'm no fan of his, but I wouldn't go around insulting people's looks.”

“Oh, you don't wanna join this conversation,” Henry said. “Because he just looks like trash. You, on the other hand, look like someone put a wig on a rat.”

“Henry?” Weiss began, with all of the energy she could muster. “I really don't have the energy to deal with you right now, so do the world a favor, and for once in your life, _shut the hell up_.”

“Seriously, is this it?” Henry asked, as May reached the front of the line and started to get her food. “You threw away being one of us because you're gay for my cousin?”

“That wouldn't make me gay,” Weiss said. _Technically, I guess it would, but that's a whole different topic,_ Weiss thought. “And May has nothing to do with why I left all of you behind.”

“Okay,” Henry smirked. Weiss got her food, and started to walk back to her table. She took a seat and took off her backpack.

May glanced back, giving Weiss a skeptical look, as if she was still trying to figure out if Weiss was worth trusting. And then, May's expression abruptly changed to alarm.

“Look out!” May called, before Weiss felt something cold and hard hit her.

A milk carton burst against Weiss' side, coating her in chocolate milk.

Before she could react, Henry threw his orange juice to follow Miltia's initial throw.

It broke open over her backpack, much to her horror.

Before long, the entirety of Henry, Melanie, and Miltia's food had been slung toward Weiss, knocking her breakfast to the ground before she could take a single bite, and drenching her in syrup, milk, juice, and ketchup. Her backpack had been knocked down, and sat in a puddle of debris, which was quickly soaking through all of the bag's contents.

“Bullseye!” Henry called.

Weiss was about to try to stand, when a second wave came her way. Cardin and his friends, who had been sitting nearby, had clearly wanted to get in on the fun, and Weiss was the clear target.

Cardin had been right, she had made herself open season.

By the time the onslaught ended, Weiss was in tears.

“Look at rich boy!” Elm laughed.

“Think he can buy a change of clothes before class?” Dove smirked.

Weiss stood up and stormed off, trying to ignore their taunts.

“He's crying!” Cardin called.

“What a pansy,” Henry scoffed.

They passed out of earshot as she stepped out of the cafeteria. She knew she had to get control of herself, but everything had happened too fast.

Her homework? Her textbooks? _Gone_. Jacques would be absolutely livid at what this would mean for her grades.

Her food, which she had been desperately needing?

 _Ruined._ And the cafeteria staff never handed out seconds, regardless of circumstance. She had seen it time after time.

She sobbed into her khakis, the only part of her that hadn't been covered in food.

And then, she _heard it_.

_Footsteps. Approaching her._

She couldn't take any more of Henry, or the twins, of Cardin and his lackeys.

“Hey-”

“Leave me alone!” she snapped, glaring up.

May Marigold stood next to the cafeteria door, and much to Weiss' surprise, her expression was one of _genuine concern_.

“I mean, if you want me to, I can,” May said.

“No, I thought you were Henry or Cardin,” Weiss sobbed. “I'm sorry."

May took a seat next to her.

“Look,” May said. “I still don't know what all... this... is. I've really learned over time not to trust people, so when I say I'm trying, I mean it. What the hell is going on with you, Schnee?”

“That's a lot more than you cared earlier today,” Weiss said. May sighed.

“Like I said, I don't trust easily,” May said. “But that was vile, and I know what it's like to be in the middle of that. Henry did the same thing to me when I first came out.”

Weiss tried to stop the tears from streaming down her face long enough to articulate a sentence.

“I never wanted to be like him,” Weiss said. “I'm sorry, May. I never should have been so awful to you.”

“No, you shouldn't have,” May agreed. “What do you mean, you never wanted to be like him?”

“I mean, my _father_ wanted me to be like him,” Weiss said. “My father hates me because I can't be like him. I never wanted to be a bully, I've just been scared.”

“So why'd you stop now?” May asked.

“I wanted to do better,” Weiss admitted, and then took a deep breath.

“I'm just starting to think you may be telling the truth about that,” May said. “Look, they're assholes, but on the bright side, you're straight, white, cis, you're a guy, so you won't stay in their focus for long.”

“Yeah,” Weiss scoffed. “Bright side.”

May cocked her head.

Weiss looked around, checking her surroundings.

“May...” Weiss said. “I...”

“Yeah?” May asked.

“Look, like I said, I never wanted to be like Henry,” Weiss said. “But my father has his expectations, and he never wanted me to be like you, so I had to pretend, and...”

“Like me? You mean, left-leaning?” May asked.

“No,” Weiss said. “I mean, _like you_.”

Weiss looked at May, desperately hoping she wouldn't go sharing this information.

“Wait,” May said. “You mean...”

“Yeah,” Weiss said. “I've been acting like I have to keep people from finding out.”

May let out a quiet laugh of surprise.

“Wow,” May said. “Damn, and to think of how things might have gone if just a few things had happened differently. So that's why you looked so shocked when you first saw me again.”

Weiss nodded.

“I... I was jealous,” Weiss admitted. “You've transitioned amazingly, you seem so happy with who you are... you're surrounded by people that care about you, people that love you... I'd give anything to have that.”

“It wasn't that easy,” May sighed. “I was lucky to find Robyn, Fi, and Jo.”

“I don't imagine it was easy,” Weiss said. “I just wish I could feel so comfortable with who I am. How'd you transition like that?”

“A fuck ton of makeup skills, an adopted parent who is willing to invest in hormone blockers, and three girlfriends with a killer fashion sense and a lot of patience,” May said.

“I...” Weiss stammered. She was vaguely aware of just how pathetic she looked, dried tears caked onto her face, a mountain of now crusty food stuck to her, she knew for a fact she smelled awful. “May, do you think I could ever transition that well?”

“I think anyone can,” May said. “Given the right time and help.”

Weiss let out a shaky breath.

“I'm really sorry,” Weiss said. “I hated myself every single time I bullied you. I just wanted to stop.”

“Well, now you can,” May said. “You know, you need some friends, or you'll get destroyed trying to make it here. This was tame compared to what Cardin will do if no one gets in your corner.”

“Are you offering?” Weiss scoffed.

“Well,” May said. “Now that I understand what's going on, I wouldn't say no, but that's not where I was going. I trust that you know Blake.”

Weiss nodded.

“We share a bus route,” Weiss said.

“She's worried about you. I'm sure you heard a little earlier,” May said.

“Bits and pieces,” Weiss said.

“Well, have you thought maybe you should stop pushing her away?” May asked.

Weiss sighed.

“I want to,” she admitted. “I just...”

“Don't know who to trust?” May asked. “Yeah, that's a mood. Look, Blake's a great person, and you clearly need a friend right now.”

“Is it that obvious?” Weiss asked.

“You look like you're about to jump off a bridge,” May bluntly said. Weiss flinched, instantly thinking back to her dark thoughts from before. “Okay, my bad. Sorry, that was a bit harsh.”

“It just... feels so hopeless,” Weiss admitted.

“Yeah,” May sighed. “I feel that, a lot. Being trans fucking blows, especially when you have a family like either of ours. Look, it gets better.”

“It got better for you,” Weiss corrected.

“It got better for me because people helped me get better,” May explained. “So you need to get some friends, real friends, not like Henry and the gossip twins. Being trans sucks, and it'll always suck, but it will get _better_.”

“I don't know how to believe that,” Weiss said. “I feel like death, I hate every part of myself, and my father's probably going to be just as furious tonight as he was the day I quit the elections.”

“I'm not gonna sugar-coat it,” May said. “It's rough, and it'll be rough for a while. You can get through this, though, if you're determined to.”

“And what if I'm not?” Weiss asked, unable to muster any will to fight.

“Then you're looking at it wrong,” May said. “Stop looking at it as being determined to keep fighting your father and the rest of the shit on top of you. You need to have a goal. You said earlier you want to transition well?”

“Yes, I want that more than I know how to say,” Weiss said.

“Then that's your goal. That's what you need to be determined to reach,” May said.

Weiss pulled out her phone, opening up her gallery.

“I have a starting point, at least,” Weiss said. She showed May the pictures from Winter's apartment.

May smiled, giving a proud nod.

“There we go,” May said. “You've got this. These pictures, they can be a way for you to keep your goal in mind. I'm part of your support circle, who else is there?”

“Currently, my sister, Winter,” Weiss said. “And Klein, our butler. He knows, and he's supportive.”

“That's a start,” May said. “Talk to Blake. I know she would accept you for who you are, and no offense, but you desperately need a good support circle. I know how bad things are where you are, and if you feel anything like how I did, things are really, really bad right now.”

Weiss nodded.

“So here's what you'll do to start. You're going to get up, and go to the gym. You're going to shower off and change into your gym outfit for now. It's not great, but it's clean, which is better than your current outfit,” May said.

Weiss nodded again.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “You're a great person, May.”

May grinned as she helped Weiss to her feet.

“One last thing. I won't use it publicly, not until you're out, but what's your name and pronouns?”

“She/her,” Weiss said, overwhelmed by emotion and unable to believe her ears. “Weiss Schnee.”

“Alright,” May said. “It's nice to meet you for real, Weiss.”

* * *

As amazing as the conversation with May was, Weiss' day quickly began to roll downhill almost immediately. For one, the walk to the gym was humiliating, and she couldn't stop worrying about how Jacques would react to her homework getting destroyed.

Once she had stopped showering, she at least felt clean, but her gym clothes consisted of loose shorts and a grey t-shirt with the school's logo, which somehow carried more masculine energy than the clothes she had come to school in.

Not only that, but she hadn't realized the biggest issues with shorts until she was wearing them.

Her legs weren't shaved, and having them exposed as they were caused her dysphoria to skyrocket.

And she usually only had to be careful about it for an hour a day, at most, but now she would have to be incredibly vigilant about her scars. Changing was usually done quickly, and angled in a way that kept anyone from seeing the crimson marks running down her thighs. During actual P. E. classes, she had to make sure not to run too quickly, make sure not to fall, she had to be incredibly mindful of every single action, in case they revealed just how she was dealing with her emotions.

But, now, she would have to do so throughout the entire day, while running on empty.

She wasn't sure how she would do it.

May's reassurance couldn't even begin to counter the ever-growing mass of stress on her shoulders.

The homework. The food. The embarrassment. The dysphoria. The bullying. The exhaustion. The hunger. The _fear_.

Fear of Jacques. Fear of Cardin. Fear of Henry.

She just barely made it into History in time, and gave a shaky explanation to Oobleck about why her textbooks and homework were missing.

Fortunately, Oobleck wasn't too harsh, but she absolutely dreaded what Ms. Salem would do when she got to third period biology empty-handed.

She wanted to ask Blake for help, all throughout the class, but still couldn't bring herself to. Every time she tried to muster the willpower to do so, she just remembered how she had treated Blake, and guilt flooded every neuron in her brain. The more the thought about it, the less she felt that she deserved Blake's help.

And then, by the time the class ended, she had firmly decided she would just endure it without Blake's help.

 _And besides_ , Weiss thought. _She said it herself, she was done offering help. I did this to myself, and it's not fair to ask her to amend the consequences._

And then, she got to Port's second period geology, which she hadn't been happy about.

Blake had partnered up with Yang weeks ago, and Weiss could hardly blame her.

Unfortunately, that meant Weiss had been stuck with Yang's previous partner, _Miltia Malachite_.

“Did you enjoy breakfast?” Miltia snidely asked as Weiss sat down.

Weiss sighed, trying not to pay her any mind.

“I can't believe you were actually crying when you ran off,” Miltia smirked. “You have ketchup in your hair, by the way.”

Weiss quickly felt her hair, grimacing at the small area that crunched in her fingers.

She felt repulsive.

“Hey, Miltia,” Yang interrupted from the next table over. “If you're so determined to talk shit, let's talk about where you work.”

Miltia glared back, folding her arms.

“I never would have thought you'd be Warren's white knight,” Miltia spat.

“Oh, believe me, I'm not his biggest fan,” Yang retorted. “But don't you think maybe you should cut him a break? This is pathetic.”

“I don't need anyone to protect me,” Weiss snapped. Yang scowled, rolling her eyes.

“Fine, have it your way,” Yang said.

Weiss already regretted pushing Yang away, but she was so tired that rational thought felt far outside of her reach. She rubbed her eyes, as Port stepped in front of the class.

“Students, I'm sure you're all as excited as I to learn more about tectonic plate movement,” Port said. “So, let's get started, shall we? Everyone go ahead and open up to page fifty-two, and-”

Weiss raised her hand, still doing her best to keep her eyes open.

“Yes, Warren?” Port asked. Weiss felt her eye twitch in frustration at that _goddamn name_.

“This morning, my backpack and all of my books were subject to vandalism, and I no longer have access to them,” Weiss sighed.

“Very well, if you need to go down to Ms. Rumpole's office, she does inventory this period, so you should be able to get a replacement,” Port said. “I'll write you a permission slip.”

“Actually, Mr. Port?” Blake asked. “I need a new geology book, too.”

“Oh?” Port asked. “What happened?”

“My cat,” Blake sighed.

“Very well, then-”

“My math book got destroyed this morning, too,” Yang said.

“Okay,” Port said. “Does anyone else need a new textbook?”

No one replied.

“Okay. You three, here is your permission slip, and I'll see you in a bit.”

“In a bit?” Yang asked, standing.

“Rumpole isn't exactly quick to hand out books, I'm afraid you've got your work cut out for you,” Port sighed.

Weiss nodded, taking the slip and shakily walking out of class.

“Hey,” Yang said, as she followed Weiss out of the classroom. “What's your deal?”

Weiss sighed, leaning against a locker for a moment.

“What do you mean?” she sighed.

“We keep trying to help you,” Blake said. “But you just keep pushing us away.”

Weiss leaned forward, stepping away from the locker, as they began to walk.

“I...” Weiss stammered, unsure of what to say. “I appreciate the thought.”

_Why is the inventory room so far away? Did Port's classroom really have to be on the opposite side of the school?_

“Warren,” Yang said. Weiss gritted her teeth, trying not to lash out. “You're clearly not okay, and it doesn't really look like you've got this on your own.”

“You said your father did that to your eye,” Blake said.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “He didn't appreciate me walking away from the election.”

“So, why did you?” Yang asked. “You've been crazy about this election, it's, like, all you've wanted all year.”

“I never wanted it!” Weiss snapped. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “I never wanted it,” she said. “But I didn't have a say. I _never_ have a say.”

“I don't get it,” Yang said.

“Okay, what about Henry, and the twins?” Blake asked. “A few weeks ago they were your closest friends. Now if they even see you, they tear into you. What happened?”

“Just drop it, neither of you would ever understand,” Weiss snapped.

“Of course we can't, you won't tell us,” Yang said. “This morning, May sounded pissed when you were brought up, but when I ran into her on the way here, I heard her trying to convince Robyn to leave you alone. None of this makes any sense.”

Weiss felt herself grow dizzier, as the ground began to spin around her again. She had been walking far too long. Her stomach screamed at her for food she couldn't give it, her head pounded away at her skull, trying to convince her just to sit down and close her eyes for a few seconds.

“Warren?” Blake asked, as Weiss stumbled. She tried to catch herself on a nearby locker, but slid forward, hitting the ground. She caught herself, wincing in pain as she skinned her knees on the hard floor.

“Warren, what's going on with you?” Yang asked. “You can hardly stand, what's-”

“I'm fine!” Weiss said through gritted teeth, as she forced herself back to her feet. “I-”

Before she could say more, her vision blurred, and Blake and Yang became splotches of color against the white hallways. Everything muffled, and the hallway spun faster and faster around her.

“Warren!” Blake said, though Weiss could hardly make out her words. She felt her legs buckle, growing numb under her, and then she felt Yang's arms around her, keeping her from smacking into the floor, then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and thanks in advance for the comments! This chapter was really interesting to write, and I'm so excited to finish the next chapter for yall as well.   
> On the note of trans!weiss fanfics, I'd like to give a shoutout to my personal favorite, Transcending a Name by Drowmonk. If you go to check it out, just a heads up, it gets a bit intense and I would definitely recommend reading through the tags before reading, but it's an amazing fic.


	16. Snow Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss is taken to the nurse's office, where she will need to make one of the most important decisions she will ever make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for mentions of self harm and a description of the scars from said harm, fainting, discussion related to malnutrition, neglect, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and emotional abuse, someone almost vomiting, an intense description of dizziness and immense disorientation, discussion of suicidal depression, references to alcoholism, dysphoria, intentional misgendering, and a brief mention of J. K. Rowling.

Blake watched in horror as Warren collapsed. She had kept Ilia's words in mind, and been skeptical that this was a simple act for sympathy, but when Warren fell, Blake knew there was no denying it.

Warren's pupils dilated, moments before he fell, and when he went limp, his eyes rolled back in his skull.

There was no faking that.

Yang moved, like lightning, and caught him before Blake had seen her move.

“Warren,” Yang said, shaking him. She then looked up at Blake, worried.

“We need to get him to the nurse,” Blake said.

“Yeah,” Yang agreed. She swung her other arm under Warren's legs, and heaved, pulling him into a bridal carry. Blake led the way down to Nurse Grey's office, which was fortunately much closer than Rumpole's inventory room.

Nurse Grey was five feet, ten inches (About 178 centimeters), with a tan skintone and black hair pulled into a messy bun. She wore a lab coat, and had large, boxy glasses.

“Oh!” Nurse Grey exclaimed, as Yang hurried in. “What happened?”

“He passed out,” Yang said. “He's seemed woozy all day.”

“It might be malnutrition,” Blake said, thinking back. “I don't think he's been eating well.”

“Okay, go ahead and set him down right on that bed,” Nurse Grey said, pointing at the nearest bed. She turned, hurrying over to grab a few supplies from across the room.

Blake turned to Yang, who was setting Warren down.

As Yang let go of the boy, her face fell in alarm.

“What?” Blake asked, stepping closer. She followed Yang's sight, and felt her blood run cold.

The leg of Warren's shorts had pulled back slightly as Yang set him down, and revealed several scars, all over his thigh. Yang quickly corrected the shorts, covering the scars back up.

“Can I have you two step back for just a moment?” Nurse Grey said, from behind them.

Blake nodded, taking a seat in a nearby chair.

Yang sat next to her, as Nurse Grey started to run a few quick tests.

Yang and Blake shared a look of fear, unsure of what to do.

“Warren,” Nurse Grey said, gently shaking him. She pressed an ice pack against his forehead, and he slowly began to wake up.

* * *

“Warren,” a voice called, far too loud for Weiss' preference. She slowly opened her eyes, immediately wincing at the agonizingly bright room in front of her.

“What?” she replied, her words slurred.

“Hey,” Nurse Grey said. She looked around, the room starting to come back into focus. She saw Blake and Yang, sitting nearby, both looking as if they'd seen a ghost.

“What's going on?” Weiss asked, her memories of leaving Port's class starting to return to her.

Her head felt like it was about to explode.

“Your friends said you fainted,” Nurse Grey said, in that slightly irritating sing-songy voice she always spoke in. “How are you feeling?”

Weiss tried to speak, but instead she retched, violently, as her body rebelled against her.

Tears began to fly down her face, every muscle in her body screaming out in pain once more, as her stomach tried to expel what wasn't there.

“Well, that's definitely not good, is it?” Nurse Grey asked, offering Weiss a bucket.

“I... can't...” Weiss said, between heaves. “Nothing's... coming up...”

“Your friend said you might not have been eating well, is that right?” Nurse Grey asked.

“I...” Weiss whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt like she was inside one of those hamster balls, but it was moving on its own. It was like one of those carnival rides, based on a UFO, where they would spin you like a centrifuge.

The only problem was, it didn't stop for Weiss.

“When was the last time you ate?” Nurse Grey asked.

“Lunch,” Weiss said. “Yesterday.”

She opened her eyes again, trying to fight her dizziness.

Blake and Yang seemed horrified at her words.

“Warren...” Blake said.

“Stop,” Weiss shuddered. “Please stop.”

“Why didn't you get breakfast this morning?” Nurse Grey asked.

“He didn't get the chance,” Yang said. “A few students knocked it off the table before he could.”

“I said, _stop_ ,” Weiss muttered.

“What about dinner?” Nurse Grey asked.

Weiss knew she couldn't say anything. Her father owned this school just as much as he owned the hospital, it was hopeless.

“I missed it,” Weiss lied.

“Okay, what about before then? How regularly have you been eating?” Nurse Grey asked.

“I haven't been hungry,” Weiss lied. “I've been eating breakfast and lunch here, but that's about all for the past week or so.”

Nurse Grey gave a light scowl, folding her arms.

“You're a teenage boy, you need to be eating regularly,” Nurse Grey said. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, forcing back tears.

_Why won't they just stop?_

“I know you've probably been told about puberty to death,” Nurse Grey said. “But you're still growing, and it's important now more than any other time in your life to stay especially well-fed. A boy your age should be eating about-”

“Stop,” Weiss said, louder this time. She didn't know if it was smart to lash out, but she couldn't take it anymore. In this state, every single dysphoria trigger went off twice as vicious as normal, and every time she was referred to as a boy it made her want to tear off every masculine feature she had.

“I'm sorry?” Nurse Grey asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “I'm not quite sure I-”

“Stop calling me that,” Weiss said.

Despite everything, tears ran down her face.

“Warren, what-” Blake began.

“I said stop calling me that!” Weiss snapped, covering her face. “Stop calling me _Warren_ , stop calling me a boy, a man, just _stop it_!”

Weiss curled in on herself, tucking her knees into her chest.

Several seconds passed, everyone in the room stunned and silent.

And then, the one thing Weiss hadn't considered happened.

“I'm sorry, could I have you put your legs down?” Nurse Grey asked.

“What?” Weiss asked, forcing herself to look up.

Blake and Yang were looking at Weiss, but Nurse Grey guided Weiss' legs down.

Weiss followed her gaze, coming to the horrified realization that she had accidentally revealed her scars.

“I-” Weiss said, covering up her legs immediately.

“This... is incredibly serious,” Nurse Grey said. “Did you do those to yourself?”

“I...” Weiss stammered.

“I'm sorry,” Nurse Grey said. “What would be better for me to call you?”

“I...” Weiss stammered, again. If she could have done so without immediately fainting again, she would have ran from this room, as quickly as she could.

Unfortunately, she couldn't.

“Um... I'm sorry,” Weiss said. “I shouldn't have lashed out like that.”

“It's okay,” Nurse Grey said. “I just need to know what would work better, if Warren isn't right.”

“It's okay,” Blake said, from her seat. “We aren't going to judge you.”

“And we also won't tell anyone,” Yang nodded. “Not unless you want us to.”

“Why?” Weiss asked, cursing herself as her emotions once again started to swirl chaotically in her mind. “You've seen the type of person I am, time after time.”

“No, I don't think we really have,” Blake replied.

“You'll be able to talk more in a minute, I promise,” Nurse Grey said. “But right now, I need to talk to you about what I just saw, and in order to do that, I need to be able to talk to you. I want to respect your emotional needs,” Nurse Grey continued. “But for that, I need you to tell me what I can call you. If you'd like, I can have your friends wait outside, or I can have them stay here. Whichever makes you more comfortable.”

Weiss took a deep breath, trying to rally her thoughts.

“I'd... like it if they stayed... if they're okay with that,” Weiss said.

“Of course,” Blake said. Yang nodded.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I... I would prefer to be called Weiss.”

“Okay,” Nurse Grey said. “Weiss, have you been self harming?”

Weiss felt shame wash over her.

She had never once talked about it out loud.

“I... I'd rather not talk about it,” Weiss said.

“I know you don't want to,” Nurse Grey said. “But I can't pretend I didn't just see that.”

Weiss sighed.

“Yes,” she admitted, shakily. “I have.”

“Have you been experiencing suicidal thoughts?” Nurse Grey asked.

Weiss began to cry once more, and at the same time, grew frustrated with just how many times she had cried today.

“Not enough to do anything,” Weiss said.

“Have you been starving yourself?” Nurse Grey asked.

Weiss trembled, fearing that the very moment she talked about who was responsible for that, Nurse Grey would act just like the doctor at the hospital had.

“I...” Weiss said. “No, not by my own choice.”

“What do you mean by that?” Nurse Grey asked.

“I haven't been getting fed,” Weiss said. “My father... withholds food if I disappoint him.”

Nurse Grey scowled, nodding in acknowledgment.

“Okay, I'd like to ask you about a few things, you may be experiencing,” Nurse Grey said, after writing a few things on a clipboard. “Have you been experiencing anxiety attacks?”

“Yes,” Weiss said.

“Emotional stress?” Nurse Grey asked.

“Yes,” Weiss said again, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

“Have you been using drugs or alcohol?” Nurse Grey asked.

“No,” Weiss said, grimacing on the word alcohol. Memories flooded back to her mind, the bottles of wine here and there, the vacant expression that usually covered Willow Schnee's face. She remembered the awful stench of vodka, like rotting chemicals in the air-

“Have you been sleeping well?” Nurse Grey asked, bringing Weiss back to the current moment.

“No,” Weiss admitted.

“How much sleep do you get?” Nurse Grey asked.

“Recently, from two hours to an hour and a half a night,” Weiss said.

“Okay,” Nurse Grey said. “It's likely everything I just asked you about except for drugs and alcohol caused you to pass out. Why haven't you been sleeping better?”

“I haven't had time,” Weiss said. “Father assigns me personal work, he sees it as me studying to take over his company.”

“I'm... extremely concerned with what you've been saying about your father, Weiss,” Nurse Grey said. “Are you aware that this is likely an abusive environment?”

“Yes, I am,” Weiss said, nervously. “I'm well aware of that.”

“I'm going to have to make the police aware of this,” Nurse Grey said. “And in cases like this, I am supposed to get in touch with child protective services.”

“What?” Weiss asked, leaning forward. “No, you can't!”

“Weiss,” Nurse Grey sighed. “I'm legally required to report abuse, especially if self harm is involved.”

“Please, don't,” Weiss said. “You don't understand, the police answer to him.”

“I know it feels that way,” Nurse Grey said. “When you feel so powerless, it's really easy to feel like the person who holds power over you has that power over everyone.”

“That's not what I mean,” Weiss said. “He's got enough money that the police will do whatever he wants, I've seen it happen.”

“Weiss, it'll be okay, I promise,” Nurse Grey said. “No one has that much power.”

Weiss rubbed her temples in frustration, overwhelmed.

“I know it's scary,” Yang said, standing. “But you're not alone anymore, okay?”

“None of you understand!” Weiss exclaimed. “He's done it before!”

“I... think she's right,” Blake said. “I've seen police attack protesters because they inconvenienced him. Anyone that's tried to sue him has lost, even if they have a mountain of evidence against him.”

“Listen,” Nurse Grey said, giving a smile that Weiss knew was supposed to be comforting. “It's going to be okay, I promise you.”

Weiss sighed, knowing there was no way she could make her point understood.

“I want to get you the best help possible,” Nurse Grey said. “So, here's what I can do.”

She grabbed a pamphlet, and handed it to Weiss.

“This is a complete list of hotlines and resources for teenagers who are struggling with self harm and suicidal thoughts,” Nurse Grey said. “There's a text hotline and a call hotline I'd like you to use if you're about to hurt yourself, okay?”

Weiss nodded.

“Now, I'm going to arrange for you to have some food, okay?” Nurse Grey asked.

“I'd really appreciate that,” Weiss said, still nervous about what her father would do if he caught wind of any of this.

“I know right now there isn't much you can do about the amount of sleep you're getting,” Nurse Grey said. “So all I'm going to say there is, if you can find any chance to sleep, you need to do it. If you keep going like this, it could cause serious harm.”

“I'll try,” Weiss sighed.

“Now, I'd like to make sure I understand correctly,” Nurse Grey said. “Are you transgender?”

“Yes,” Weiss said, much quieter than anything she had said before.

“Okay. I can recommend a few doctors that may be able to help you get on hormone blockers, if that's something you'd like,” Nurse Grey said.

“Doesn't that need permission from a parent?” Weiss asked.

“Yes, it does,” Nurse Grey admitted.

“My father will never agree to it,” Weiss lamented. “He hates people like me, he'd never...”

Her words were interrupted as she found herself reduced further to tears.

“I'm sorry,” Nurse Grey said. “I'd like to get you an appointment scheduled with a therapist, someone who can help you with everything you're dealing with.”

“Father wouldn't allow that, either,” Weiss said. “He sees therapists as a crutch for people that are weak.”

Nurse Grey rolled her eyes.

“I'm sorry, Weiss,” Nurse Grey said. “Hopefully, we can quickly get you into a better solution, and get you the help you need.”

Weiss nodded, knowing full well that wasn't going to happen.

Nurse Grey stood and stepped out, to get Weiss' breakfast. Blake stood, joining Yang's side, next to Weiss' bed.

“I'm sorry,” Blake said. “This all must be a nightmare.”

“Why... are you so quick to help me?” Weiss asked. “I've been rude, and awful, and-”

“I can't just watch people suffer,” Blake said. “It was obvious something was really wrong.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “My sister cares about me, but she's miles and miles away. I have a small handful of people that care about me, people that are willing to help, but for the most part, I'm alone, and I'm scared, and I don't know what to do.”

“I know we've always gotten along... less than ideal,” Yang said. “But for what it's worth, neither of us are about to throw you to the wolves. I'd love to get to know who you really are, underneath all of your father's lies.”

“I do have one question for you, though,” Blake said. Weiss waited, as Blake continued. “Would you like this all to stay behind closed doors for now, or do you want to come out today?”

“I hate being called... _that name_ ,” Weiss sighed, looking down at her hands. “And I hate being treated like someone I've never actually been, but I don't feel ready to come out. Does it make sense if I said that if I could just... transition perfectly, in an instant, maybe things would be different, and I'd feel confident enough to just be myself, but I'm scared of everything I'd face, just trying to actually transition?”

“I mean... neither of us can relate to that directly, but it makes sense,” Yang said.

“I'm also just... scared. I'm scared of what my father will do if I try to transition, and honestly even in some amazing fantasy world where he had no power over me anymore, even then... I'm scared to transition,” Weiss said.

“Isn't transitioning a good thing?” Blake asked.

“It is... but I've always wanted to see myself for who I really am. And right now, in my mind, I can still hang onto the idea that if I eventually transition, it will be perfect. But in all honestly, there's a very real chance that my transition would have more problems than I can count,” Weiss said. “For one, I've already gone through most of a testosterone-based puberty. Those changes are irreversible. I'm extremely fortunate that I didn't grow nearly as much as people around me, but that's not to say every change has been good. What if I do everything I can to transition, and it's not enough? What if there's something I can't change, that will always just make it obvious to everyone that I'm not a woman and never will be?”

“Hey,” Blake interrupted. “If you say you're a woman, then _you are_. That doesn't change because of other people's beliefs, and it especially doesn't change based on some physical aspect that you can't change.”

“Yeah,” Yang nodded. “I can't say I know a lot about trans issues, but I can definitely say I know that much. And if it helps, I've never thought of you as masculine.”

“That... actually does help,” Weiss said. “I just wish there was a real chance that I could look more like Luna Lovegood than Draco Malfoy.”

“I... thought you didn't watch movies a lot,” Yang said.

“I've still seen posters,” Weiss said. “And Melanie and Miltia are obsessed with those books, especially since the author...”

“Ugh,” Blake rolled her eyes. “No more of that. We're your friends now and we'll never ask you to read anything written by her or anyone else with views like that. I promise.”

Weiss let Blake's words sink in. It felt strange, being Blake and Yang's friend. She'd never thought she'd get the chance to truthfully call herself that.

* * *

Yang watched as Weiss ate, knowing full well that when Port said they'd be gone a while, _this_ probably wasn't what he meant.

Overall, by the time the trio finally made it to Rumpole's inventory room, Port's class only had about ten minutes left.

Yang didn't, however, feel any sympathy for Miltia, who was probably struggling to do her assignment alone.

“You sure picked an inconvenient moment to show up,” Ms. Rumpole sighed, already making Yang cringe just with how irritated she sounded.

“We tried to come by earlier, but I had a medical incident,” Weiss said, showcasing her note from the nurse. “I apologize for the inconvenience.”

Rumpole eyed the note, and then nodded, letting up slightly.

“I suppose, in this case, it can be forgiven. What brings you by?” she asked, cleaning off her gold-rimmed glasses.

“We've each had harm come to a textbook,” Yang began.

“I lost my Geology textbook,” Blake explained. “Yang lost her math textbook, and Warren lost everything.”

Yang hadn't realized it before, but now that she was looking for it, she could see Weiss flinch when her deadname was uttered.

“I hope you realize I can't just hand them back out for free,” Rumpole said. “Each one of those textbooks is worth three hundred fifty dollars, on average.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yang said. “I'll get mine paid off, you have my-”

“Ms. Rumpole, it's my fault,” Weiss said. “This morning, my backpack was vandalized, and it had not only all of my textbooks, but their missing textbooks as well. Because it is my fault their books were destroyed, I will accept the responsibility of covering their fees. If you would, put their fees on my account.”

Blake, Yang, and Rumpole all froze in surprise. Blake looked back at Yang, and they shared a look of disbelief.

“That... means you'd owe about two thousand, eight hundred dollars,” Rumpole said.

“Yes, that should be about right,” Weiss nodded.

“Why did you have their books?” Rumpole asked.

“It's a prank that's been going around,” Weiss lied. “Essentially, it consists of stealing books from classmates, until they realize that they're gone. I realize it was immature and irresponsible, and I give you my word that it will not happen again.”

Rumpole's expression changed quickly to anger. She folded her arms, glaring judgmentally at the poor girl.

“And here I thought you were one of my model students,” Rumpole snapped. “Is this the kind of behavior you exhibit when you're not in my classroom?”

“Not usually, Ms. Rumpole,” Weiss said, hanging her head in shame. “It was a lapse in judgment.”

“Well, hopefully three days' detention will teach you better decision-making skills,” Rumpole spat. “I think we both know the fees won't weigh heavily on your shoulders.”

Weiss grimaced, but didn't argue.

“Wait,” Blake said. “That's not fair.”

“Blake,” Weiss said. “Don't get yourself into trouble over this.”

“But-” Yang protested.

“That's enough,” Rumpole interrupted. “I won't have a bunch of students bickering in one of the few relatively peaceful moments I get throughout the day. Here are your new books, do ensure that you're not so careless with them.”

Weiss nodded.

“I... yes, Ms. Rumpole,” Yang sighed.

Weiss picked up the heavy stack of textbooks she had needed replaced, and Yang could already see that their significant weight was causing the exhausted girl difficulty.

“Do you need help with those?” Yang asked, offering out a hand.

“Uh-uh,” Rumpole snapped as the three students began to walk away. “You won't be letting anyone touch your books, that applies to all three of you. That nonsense just destroyed several perfectly good copies.”

Yang rolled her eyes, while looking away from Ms. Rumpole.

“Okay,” Yang said, before they passed away from her view.

“I appreciate the offer,” Weiss panted. “But I can handle my own-”

“Stop,” Blake interrupted. “What you did in there was enough, please stop doing stuff like this to make up for the past.”

Weiss sighed, looking at the ground.

“You don't owe us, Weiss,” Yang said. “Look, yeah, you did some things that really pissed me off. But the only way I need you to make up for that, is by doing better in the future. You definitely didn't need to get yourself in trouble for us.”

“I can handle some detention,” Weiss said.

“Can your father handle it?” Blake asked, while taking three of Weiss' books before Weiss could object. Yang took the other two, leaving Weiss with just her English textbook. “I know he's strict, how is he gonna react to you getting detention?”

“He...” Weiss said, before coming to a temporary stop, and sighing. “He's probably going to be upset. He'll probably be upset that I just cost him almost three thousand dollars, too. He's going to be upset that I just lost an entire day's worth of homework, and the way he sees it, it's all my fault. Not to mention, apparently now the police are going to be brought to his door, and he's going to be absolutely livid about that. I didn't want any of that, but it's happening, without my say-so, and I don't know any way to stop it. So to be perfectly honest, a few detentions and a fee that essentially adds up to pocket change to him isn't going to stand out right now. He'll likely be more upset about the other failures I've been 'responsible' for.”

“Weiss,” Blake said. “We need to get you out of there, it's really-”

“How?” Weiss scoffed, interrupting her. “That's a wonderful idea, and I'd love to just never see that man ever again. But that isn't an option. He practically owns me at this point. I appreciate that you two care about me. It makes a massive difference for my mental health, and I am incredibly grateful for that, but this is just part of how things are for the Schnee family. Jacques Schnee's word is law, and that's just how things are.”

“Bullshit,” Yang said. “You're sixteen, if you run away at this point, there's not much he can do. If you go to a judge-”

“Go to a judge?” Weiss laughed. “He owns every judge in the city! No one has successfully sued him, ever since he became the CEO of Schnee Auto. He has more money than anyone else in the entire state of Idaho, do you realize what that means? He is wealthier than the mayor, wealthier than the governor, wealthier than any other politician or businessman for hundreds of miles! The closest person with even a somewhat comparable amount of money owns several casinos in Las Vegas. He's essentially untouchable. People have brought video evidence, showing exactly what laws he's violated, on tape, and he's still won the cases. What do you think a teenager will be able to do?”

Yang crossed her arms.

“No one's that powerful,” Yang said. “He may be rich, but that doesn't mean he can literally just do whatever he wants.”

“Yang,” Blake sighed. “Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. I hate that she's right, but she is. My family has been trying to get the law to hold him accountable for his actions for years, and made no progress. I've seen police fire tear gas into a crowd because Jacques gave the order.”

“When he gave me this scar, I tried to tell the doctor that treated me,” Weiss said. “My father paid him to just wave it off and tell me I was probably remembering it wrong. And things like that happen all the time when he's involved.”

“I...” Yang said, considering their words. She'd never thought things like that actually happened, she thought that was just a dumb movie trope. “He can really just... do whatever he wants?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “He can. I want to run away, I'd give anything to get away from him, but he owns the police, he owns the hospitals, he owns _everyone_ here. Hell, if he knew this conversation was happening, he'd probably bribe the staff of the school to isolate me from you both.”

“We won't let that happen,” Yang said.

“If it did, there's nothing you could do to stop him,” Weiss said, as she reached the door to Port's classroom. With a sigh, she pulled the door open, so that they could step back in.

* * *

“Warren,” Jacques said, as Weiss stepped back into the house. “Let's have a talk in my office.”

Weiss nodded, swallowing in anxiety. She followed him back to his office, trembling as her mind played possibility after possibility of what he might say. She braced herself for the very real possibility that he might be physically violent again, or at the very least, the reality that she was about to be yelled at for things far outside of her control.

“Jacques,” a slightly slurred voice said, as Jacques passed Willow. “Where's Klein, I need him to pick up more tequila, we've been running low.”

“Ugh,” Jacques rolled his eyes. “Klein!”

Weiss flinched as he shouted, and a few seconds later, Weiss heard footsteps approaching from behind.

“Yes, Master Schnee?” Klein said. Weiss turned to face the butler, desperately wishing he would whisk her away to somewhere safe.

“She needs more booze,” Jacques said. “And I need you available in forty-five minutes, so make it quick.”

“Yes, Master Schnee,” Klein nodded. “And I'd like to thank you once more, for hearing me out before, I-”

“Yes,” Jacques interrupted. “Thank you, Klein, that will be all for now.”

Jacques continued walking, urging Weiss along after him. He opened the door to his office, stepping in and taking a seat at his desk.

“Close the door and take a seat, _boy_ ,” Jacques said. Weiss nodded, wasting no time following his orders.

“Yes, father,” Weiss said, and seconds later, she took a seat on the other side of his chrome desk.

“Warren?” Jacques said, glaring down at her. “I've heard a rather troubling report from Ms. Rumpole, that you've been engaging in juvenile pranks, and that because of this, not only have you been given three detentions that will stay on your record, but on top of this, I will be forced to pay out of pocket to make up for it. Not only that, but these... pranks... cost you an entire day's worth of homework. Now, is there anything I'm misunderstanding here?”

Weiss took a deep breath, getting ready for everything to spiral against her.

“No, father. You understand correctly.”

“So, when I said that you had disappointed me, did you somehow come to the idiotic conclusion that you should do so again, as soon as possible?” Jacques asked.

“No, father, I-”

“When I heard what happened, I was absolutely appalled. I gave it some thought, and I came to a solution to all of these issues you've been posing,” Jacques continued. “I came to the conclusion that this school has had a negative influence on you, and you would be better suited at a boarding school, and there happens to be one in Austin, Texas, which is currently taking new students.”

Weiss' blood ran cold, and she immediately felt panic begin to rise in her mind. Blake, Yang, May, everyone she had finally started to fix things with, and Jacques was about to tear them all away from her.

“But, Klein decided to give his advice on the matter,” Jacques said. “And he suggested a course of action that I also believe could help. For one, while Winter very foolishly resigned her position as heiress to the company, she still learned several valuable lessons about running a company, so this weekend, you are to learn from her directly. That way, the investments I've made in both of you aren't a complete waste.”

Weiss couldn't believe it.

Klein truly was like a guardian angel, and she knew that next time she saw him, she would have to thank him profusely.

“The other part of this solution, is that you will also receive an education on business from me, directly,” Jacques said. “Three times a week, you will come with me down to the Schnee Automobile Company Headquarters, and assist me in running the company, that way you can learn directly.”

“Yes, father,” Weiss said. This was a truly sickening idea, but she would immediately take it over being shipped off to a boarding school in one of the only states more transphobic than Idaho.

“Wonderful,” Jacques said. “I'm glad to see you know your place now, at least. In that case, get cleaned up, we leave as soon as Klein gets back.”

Weiss' eyes went wide as she realized the first of these days as an... intern, maybe... started now. She nodded as she stood.

“Do make sure to wear a nice suit,” Jacques said. “You should look professional for this.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, I'm already writing the next so once my editor gives me the green light, you'll have another chapter incoming!  
> Just out of curiosity, are there any characters y'all want to show up a little more frequently? If so, please feel free to mention them in the comments. I can't promise anything, but I'll keep your suggestions in mind when writing future chapters!  
> (And in case anyone was curious, Boise, Idaho is every bit as awful as I write it. I'd recommend that you never, ever move here.)


	17. The Arcade and the Apartment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss is treated to a weekend of gender validation by Winter and Ciel. Ruby and Penny spend the weekend at a local arcade/amusement park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for mentions of abuse and neglect, very brief mentions of sexism, dysphoria, and a mock combat scene.
> 
> This chapter is a bit more fluff, which I honestly don't write. Enjoy it as we'll be back on the angst train here soon.

By the time the weekend rolled around, Weiss felt like she had been tortured for days on end. Wearing a suit semi-regularly shattered any self image she had, causing her dysphoria to grow far worse. She had Blake, Yang, and May, but aside from that, school was still hell. She hadn't heard anything more of Nurse Grey's unfortunate but well meaning plan to rescue Weiss, and she hoped Nurse Grey had simply dropped the plan and moved on.

When she got home on Friday, however, she desperately hoped nothing had happened to derail her plans with Winter, and when she saw Winter's car in the driveway, she felt a glimmer of hope ignite in her heart.

“Warren,” Winter greeted, as soon as she had stepped in. Weiss tried not to wince at the name, and gave a polite nod in response.

“Winter,” Weiss said.

“Father would like me to teach you a considerable amount of business information,” Winter said. “Because of this, we should be going as soon as possible.”

“I'll only need a minute to pack an overnight bag,” Weiss said, before hurrying off to her room. She hurriedly readied her clothes, before returning to Winter, trying not to let any enthusiasm show, in case Jacques figured out why she was excited to go.

Luckily, no one tried to stop them, and within just a minute, they were driving away from the Schnee residence.

“I'm sorry,” Winter said. Weiss could immediately pick up the anger and disgust radiating off of her, and she didn't know exactly what to say. “The kind of despicable, pathetic excuse of a father that would take things _this_ far...”

“W-what?” Weiss asked, confused.

“Your scar,” Winter clarified. “He was always an abusive, vile, awful person, but _that_ is a new low.”

“It's not your fault,” Weiss said, rubbing her eyes. Her voice was tired, and solemn. She tried to let out more emotion, but at this point, she was so relieved to be able to let her guard down that she was just letting herself feel the exhaustion that had built up over the past two weeks.

“Let me guess,” Winter said, noticing Weiss' exhaustion. “He hasn't been feeding you, and he's been burying you under so much assignments you have no time to sleep?”

“How did you know?” Weiss asked.

“I gave up my position as heiress for several reasons,” Winter said. “I didn't want that career, I didn't want to be associated with _him_ , but on top of that, I gave up my position because his expectations are inhumane. It took me hallucinating due to exhaustion to realize just how far he had taken it. If I'm being honest, I think the best thing for you would be to convince him to make Whitley the heir, so that he'd let you go, like he did with me. Then you can just leave all of that behind.”

“I still doubt he'd let me go that easily,” Weiss sighed. “He sees me as an heir, and unfortunately that holds more value in his eyes.”

Winter rolled her eyes, annoyed.

“I'm sorry. On that note, I'm sorry I had to call you the wrong name earlier,” Winter said. “I could see how much it hurt you, and if I had any other option, I-”

“I understand,” Weiss said. “I don't blame you, I promise.”

“I appreciate that, but I still understand that it was painful,” Winter sighed. “I'd also like to apologize. I know you were likely very eager to learn about business this weekend, but I have no intention of boring you to death, so instead, Ciel and I are going to continue to teach you makeup and fashion.”

“I think I'm alright with that,” Weiss smiled.

“So,” Winter said, in an attempt to lighten the mood. “You mentioned you've had a lot of changes, socially.”

“Right,” Weiss said. “It was a bit too complicated for me to explain over text, so I'll explain now. So, you know how I dropped out of the election?”

“An incredibly bold move,” Winter said. “Even I wasn't brave enough to rebel against father so directly, at least, not at that age.”

“So leading up to that, Principal Ozpin tried to stress to me the importance of a... qualified... vice president choice,” Weiss said. “Henry Marigold is... less than ideal.”

Winter smirked.

“Really?” she joked.

“Oh, ha ha,” Weiss rolled her eyes. “So, I tried to choose someone more qualified, and he took it personally. I went back and forth for a bit, but eventually decided I'd had enough of him, and of the twins. So, I told them all I was done, and I haven't been anything close to friends with them since.”

“Good riddance,” Winter said. “You deserve far more honest and trustworthy friends than them.”

“And, on that note,” Weiss said. “I've started to make amends with May.”

“That's wonderful!” Winter smiled. “If I'm being honest, I've always wanted you to have friends like her, friends that aren't two faced.”

“And I've also started to fix things with two other people,” Weiss said. “Their names are Blake and Yang, and they're amazing.”

“You have no idea how glad I am to hear that,” Winter said. “Well, hang onto them. Those three sound far better for you than Henry and the Malachite twins.”

“Believe me, I have no intentions to return to _that_ ,” Weiss shuddered.

“Well, on the note of moving forward, have you given any thought to what you'd like to do with your life?”

“I... really haven't,” Weiss sighed. “If it makes sense, I still can't see myself doing anything other than managing Schnee Auto.”

“Is that what you want?” Winter asked.

“It's what I have to do,” Weiss said.

“That's not what I asked,” Winter said. “If it really is what you'd like to do with your life, then I know you'll do amazing, but if it isn't, then you shouldn't settle for that when you could be living your best life.”

“Fine, if I'm telling the truth, I _hate_ the idea of spending my life rotting away in some office, raking in money I don't deserve and living like father,” Weiss said. “Maybe I could be okay with running a business, but I'm not passionate about cars. Father doesn't care about them either, he just wants the money, and that's the difference. If I'm going to run a business, it should be a business I care about, and while I respect grandfather's ideals, the Schnee Auto Company is a pitiful and destructive mess.”

Winter smiled, as Weiss finally spoke honestly about her goals.

“Then that's your starting point,” Winter said. “You don't know what you want to do, but you know it isn't the family company.”

“But it doesn't matter,” Weiss sighed. “Either way, I'm locked into it. With the influence father has, he would just demolish my career if I tried to do anything else with my life.”

“A lot can change over the next few years,” Winter said. “Do yourself a favor, don't resign yourself to his limitations. I know it seems hopeless, but I got away from him, and I think you'll be able to do the same.”

“Winter,” Weiss said. “You got away because you're his _daughter_ , not his _son_. He's sexist and prefers the idea of a male heir.”

“Well, you're not his _male heir_ ,” Winter said.

“He will never see it that way,” Weiss said, feeling her hopeful mood plummet as her own words sank in. She felt a twinge of despair echo in her heart, upon realizing just how much she still actually wanted Jacques' approval and love.

And as soon as she felt it, she immediately doubted herself.

Why would she even _want_ his love? If she was so desperate to have the love of such a vile person, what did that say about her?

“Then we'll figure out something else,” Winter said. “I'm not ever going to just leave you to handle all of his nonsense on your own.”

Weiss smiled, hoping she looked happy on the surface.

* * *

“So,” Winter said, as they stepped into the apartment. “Tomorrow morning, Ciel and I are taking you shopping for more clothes, as well as some new ideas we came up with. For one, how would you feel about getting a wig?”

“I'd actually really like that,” Weiss said. “Wait, tom-”

“Perfect. We have a few places in mind,” Winter smiled. “You'll be happy to hear Ciel has been studying contouring, specifically for trans women, so that she can teach you. I'd also be happy to help you out with temporary press-on nails, which we can remove before you return to Boise.”

“That would be amazing,” Weiss said, slightly overwhelmed. “But is there anything going on tonight?”

“Yes,” Winter said, as she stepped into the kitchen and set the oven to preheat. “You're going to eat a real meal, and then you're going to get a full eight hours of sleep, at the very least.”

“I can wait,” Weiss argued. “I'd like to make the most of my time here.”

“I'd like that, too,” Winter said, as she began to prepare dinner. “Which is why you're going to get some sleep. That is our first priority. If that _bastard_ excuse for a father won't let you eat or sleep, then I'm going to make sure that you can make up for it here. I'll also be sending you back with snacks to help keep you fed when he's not paying attention.”

“You don't have to,” Weiss objected.

“Oh, I don't?” Winter asked. She rolled her eyes. “Obviously I don't _have_ to. I'm _choosing_ to support my sister.”

Weiss realized that Winter wouldn't be dissuaded from this, and resigned to her statements.

“Very well,” Weiss said. “It's still embarrassing that you expect me to sleep at six in the evening.”

“Well, by the time food's been made and you've finished eating, it will probably be about seven,” Winter said. “If that helps.”

This time it was Weiss' turn to roll her eyes.

“I'll simply be happy that it's not roughly three in the morning,” Weiss said, taking a seat at the bar by Winter's kitchen. Winter slid Weiss a glass of water, which Weiss raised an eyebrow at.

“Drink,” Winter said. “I know you've been so focused on father's goals that you likely neglect your needs.”

Weiss scowled.

“I'm fine, Winter,” Weiss began, but didn't say more before Winter glared at her. “Okay, okay.”

Weiss begrudgingly drank, but admittedly the water was so refreshing it made her aware just how much she truly hadn't been taking care of herself.

“Are there any other self-care requirements you'd like to impose on me?” Weiss asked, sarcastically.

“Between food, water, sleep, and gender affirmation, I think I'm satisfied with all of these efforts... for now,” Winter said. “If I could, I'd do more to counter father's disgraceful parenting, but there's only so much I can do from here, which actually brings me to something I was considering. To have more opportunities to help you, I've been considering making trips down to Boise more often, rather than only when you can come up here for the weekend.”

“Wait, you mean-”

“I mean I'd like to come by every weekend for now to help mitigate the hell you're enduring over there,” Winter said. “You shouldn't be spending your weekends cooped up in your room, doing what essentially amounts to thankless extra credit. Ciel and I like to go bowling, and I think a weekly bowling trip would improve your mental health as well.”

Weiss smiled, nodding in agreement.

“I certainly wouldn't say no to that,” Weiss said.

“Not to mention, I'd like to meet your new friends,” Winter said.

“I know you mean well, but don't you think you're being a tad overprotective?” Weiss asked.

“Well, for one, _someone_ has to look out for you since neither of our parents will,” Winter sighed. “But if it helps, I'm not planning to interrogate them, they don't need my permission to be your friends and I'm well aware of that. I'd simply like to get to know them. If they're important to you, then they're also important to me.”

“I... didn't expect that,” Weiss said. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Winter said. “Now, while dinner is cooking, I'd like to introduce you to one of the best perks of life away from _Jackass Schnee_.”

“Which is?” Weiss asked.

Winter took a seat on the couch, picking up the TV remote.

“TV,” Winter said. “I believe you'd also enjoy one of my favorites, _Brooklyn Nine-Nine_.”

* * *

When Saturday morning finally arrived, Ruby was ecstatic. She knew Yang and Tai were constantly bewildered at her ability to happily wake up at six in the morning, even on weekends. In this case, however, it backfired on Ruby as she had to find something to do for three hours.

She spent twenty minutes getting up, taking a quick shower, then picking out a t-shirt themed after _Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse_. After that, she ate a bowl of cereal while watching _X-Men: Apocalypse_.

Roughly an hour in, however, she decided to go on a jog, which she had worked hard to turn into a daily habit.

She was glad, however, that today was one of the days she had someone to chat with. She had gotten about a block into her jog when a familiar voice greeted her from behind.

“Good morning, Ruby!” Pyrrha Nikos said, catching up to Ruby. Pyrrha was dressed for the occasion, likely one of the people in the school that took exercise the most seriously. She wore a red athletic tank top, grey jogging pants, and a pair of golden and crimson running shoes.

“Morning!” Ruby chirped. “How's your weekend been?”

“I can't say just yet,” Pyrrha said. “But hopefully it will go well. Nora and I will be competing in the _Race for the Cure_ tomorrow, which I've been looking forward to.”

“That's awesome! I'll have to get in on that next year,” Ruby said. “Any plans for today?”

“I actually do,” Pyrrha nodded. “I have a job interview.”

“Oh? What job?” Ruby asked.

“It's nothing amazing,” Pyrrha said. “I'm interviewing for a position at a fast food restaurant.”

“I know you'll do amazing at whatever job you do,” Ruby reassured her.

“Thank you,” Pyrrha said. “What about you? Do you have any plans for today?”

“Well,” Ruby said. “At nine, Penny's coming over to hang, and we're gonna spend the day at Wahooz!”

“That sounds fun,” Pyrrha said. “I heard Nora and Ren will be there, too.”

“Ooh! I'll have to say hi!” Ruby said. “I'll catch up with you later!”

“I look forward to it,” Pyrrha said, as they got ready to split up again. “Have a wonderful day!”

Ruby went the next several minutes of her jog in relative silence, that is, until she came around a corner and came face to face with two more people, one of whom was familiar and the other she had never seen before.

“Hi, Blake!” Ruby said, stopping to take a brief rest. She uncapped her water bottle, taking a moment to re-hydrate as Blake replied.

“Hello, Ruby,” Blake smiled. “Have you met Ilia?”

“I haven't,” Ruby said. “I'm-”

“Ruby,” Ilia nodded, as Ruby awkwardly held out her hand. Ruby couldn't help but notice just how graceful Ilia was, seeming more coordinated than even Pyrrha or Ren. “We go to school together.”

“Really?” Ruby asked, scratching the back of her head. “I've never seen you before.”

“I get that a lot,” Ilia said. “I'm a senior, so we don't share any core classes. We do actually have one together, though.”

“We do?” Ruby asked.

“Theater, third period,” Ilia said.

“Really?” Ruby asked, trying to recall ever having seen her before.

“I'm quiet,” Ilia clarified. “I've actually been called a chameleon before, because I'm really good at blending in.”

“Huh,” Ruby said. “Well, shows how perceptive I am! It's nice to meet you.”

“What are you up to?” Blake asked.

“Just my morning jog,” Ruby said. “I jog in the mornings every day when I don't have school.”

“Well, I'm hardly surprised,” Blake smiled.

“How about you two?” Ruby asked, pulling a granola bar out of her pocket to take a few small bites of.

“We're heading down to the library,” Blake said.

“I'm hardly surprised,” Ruby said with a grin. “Hey, before I head off, what's been going on with you and Yang? We haven't all spent lunch or breakfast together all week.”

“Oh,” Blake said, uncomfortably. “That's, um...”

“And the other day, I could've sworn I saw you two hanging out with Warren,” Ruby said. “Nothing wrong with that, it just seemed weird.”

“Yeah,” Blake said. “That's complicated, and I can't really go into it yet. I didn't mean to exclude you, though. I'll make sure we all hang out on Monday, okay?”

“Okay,” Ruby said, deciding not to push the topic any further. “Have a nice day!”

* * *

“Have a nice day!” Ruby said cheerfully, as she started to jog away. Blake sighed in relief that Ruby hadn't tried to get her to talk about Weiss.

“Well,” Ilia said, raising an eyebrow. “I pride myself on being perceptive and invisible, so usually I see everything around here, but somehow I missed _that_.”

“Yeah,” Blake said again, awkwardly.

“Listen, if you wanna be friends with the kid, that's fine,” Ilia said. “Really. I may not agree with the decision, but I'm not gonna be petty about it. I'm just gonna give you a heads up. We've seen time after time the Schnee kids will throw anyone to the wolves the moment they get the chance.”

“Ilia,” Blake began, unsure of how to word anything at the moment. “You... said you figured out something about Warren, like everything suddenly made sense. If it's... what I think you figured out, then maybe... not all Schnees are alike?”

“I doubt you know what I figured out,” Ilia said. “Look, whatever it is that you know, it doesn't fix everything Warren's done in the past. Either way, he's still selfish. He still looked the other way when Winter threw me away for my sexuality, and then used my sexuality as a weapon against me. I didn't get to come out at school, Winter did it for me by telling _everyone_. And when all of that happened, Warren didn't care, either.”

“I know,” Blake sighed. “And I'm not saying everything just gets... forgiven instantly. I'm just saying maybe Warren isn't like the rest of them.”

Ilia turned to face Blake, coming once more to a stop.

“Holy shit, you know,” Ilia said. “That's, like, the only thing that could change your mind _this_ much.”

Blake scratched her head uncomfortably.

“Like I said, I think we know the same thing,” Blake said. “But I can't really say until I get permission.”

“Okay, well, look,” Ilia said. “Regardless of who they are or anything like that, it doesn't change what they've done.”

“I...” Blake said, trying to figure out what to say. “Ilia, I've seen the way Jacques Schnee acts, time after time. If you were Jacques' kid, don't you think you'd make some really bad decisions through all of the abuse?”

“Yeah, I would,” Ilia said. “But I'd apologize for them, I'd make them right. Your new _friend_ that, since I think we know the same thing, I'll avoid specifically naming, has never done any of that. Your friend has hurt a lot of people and so far, the only people they've apologized to are May Marigold, Yang, and you.”

“Mercury, too,” Blake said. “Look, s-” she quickly stopped herself from explicitly outing Weiss. “They are trying, don't you think that counts for something?”

“I'll believe it when I see real effort,” Ilia said. “So far, I haven't. And that's neither here nor there. All I'm saying is that you should be careful. Friendship with a Schnee is a stab in the back waiting to happen.”

“Then I'll keep that in mind,” Blake said. “Can we switch topics now? I don't want to fight the whole time.”

“Yeah,” Ilia sighed. “I'm sorry. Sensitive topic, but I shouldn't be lashing out at you for it.”

“Thank you,” Blake said.

After a few seconds passed, Ilia started a new topic.

“So, what does Lionheart have you reading now?” Ilia asked.

“1984,” Blake sighed. “And I appreciate the overall message of rebellion, but the more I read it the harder it is to look past all of the sexist garbage the entire thing just balances on.”

“Right?” Ilia exclaimed. “Ugh, if it's any consolation, Lionheart doesn't really care about any of the message there. Just answer the questions right and you'll pass the test with flying colors, so, there's really no reason to read it.”

“Noted,” Blake said. “Then I'll spend my time on books with similar messages that aren't blatantly sexist.”

“Yeah, that's for the best,” Ilia said. “So, what do you have planned when you're done with the library?”

“I haven't spent a weekend just... reading... in a while,” Blake said. “I'm probably gonna do that.”

“Nice,” Ilia said. “What are you thinking?”

“Well, I've just gotten into a series called _The Obsidian Trilogy_ , and it's been too long since I've read a good fantasy series. Each book is really long, so-”

“So it'll probably take you, what, two days a book?” Ilia grinned.

“Probably,” Blake said.

* * *

Weiss slept for twelve hours. Winter had gone to bed _hours_ after her, and even still, Weiss was awoken by the smell of bacon and the sound of a faint sizzling. She sat up on the couch, feeling better than she had in weeks.

“Rise and shine,” Winter said, from the kitchen. “Or not. It's only seven, so if you need a few more hours, you can take them.”

“I think I'm fine for now,” Weiss said, rubbing her eyes. “But thank you. I... honestly was starting to forget what it felt like to be well rested.”

“I wish you could get used to it again,” Winter sighed. “Part of me just wants to keep you here. You'd undoubtedly be healthier, that's for sure.”

“If I'm being honest, I wish I could stay, too,” Weiss said. “I'm not looking forward to going home.”

“Unfortunately, if I tried to do that, Jacques would undoubtedly disown me,” Winter sighed. “And then I wouldn't have anywhere for us to stay.”

“I'd never want you to lose this place,” Weiss said. “Besides, it wouldn't help anything. He would just have the police rush me back home.”

“I don't know how,” Winter admitted. “But someday, you're going to be free of him. I refuse to let you spend your life under his boot.”

Weiss stood, stretching.

“Do you mind if I use the shower?” Weiss asked.

“Go ahead,” Winter said. “Breakfast should be ready by the time you're out, and just so you know, Ciel is on the way over.”

“Okay,” Weiss said. “Thank you so much, for breakfast, for dinner, for everything.”

“Don't thank me,” Winter said. “You deserve to eat, and to sleep. Even if _some people_ refuse to see that.”

* * *

Weiss was both surprised and relieved the costume store wasn't Halloween themed. She hadn't wanted to feel like she was just putting together a costume, some fake look that was to be taken off and discarded when some event had concluded. Winter had taken her to a _theater_ store, one with a very professional organization.

The store was decorated with well-made props, outfits designed after historical eras (such as a victorian dress that caught Weiss' eye), fabrics for making your own costumes, speakers and lighting, and then the reason they were there: mannequins with various different wigs, showcasing a large variety.

These wigs were by no means the cheap costume wigs you'd expect to find in a Spirit Halloween Store or a thrift shop around this time of year. The cheapest one was fifty dollars, and it showed in the quality.

As Weiss tried to take in the rather overwhelming selection, someone approached from the side.

He was a shorter man, around Weiss' height, wearing glasses. He had his hair cut short, and he had one of those charismatic smiles that helped set a calm, accepting atmosphere.

“Welcome to _Wilmorth's Theater Supplies_ ,” the man greeted. “Is there anything I can help you with today?”

Winter glanced over to Weiss for a moment, as if to get her permission before explaining the situation. Weiss thought over it for a moment, and decided it would be nice, just once, to be able to take this step in a semi-public setting. She nodded.

“I'm looking for a wig for my sister,” Winter said. “Are there any recommendations you could make?”

“Absolutely,” the man said, and Weiss felt relief that he didn't express any confusion or disgust. “What color and/or style are we thinking?”

“I think I'd like something lighter,” Weiss said. “I like my natural hair color, but I think I could be okay with blonde, or maybe a light blue.”

“Yeah, so we keep a lot of our lighter shades over here,” he said, leading them across the display. “We have several different lengths and styles as well, so if you need help finding anything, feel free to ask.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

She tried on what felt like a hundred different options. Sky blue emo-styles, blonde hime-cut wigs, pink braids, she had never thought there would be so much variety.

Unfortunately, nothing felt like _her_.

The closest she got was a platinum wig that matched her natural color, that was incredibly long. The wig had bangs not unlike her own. Even that felt... in her face, and messy.

“This is almost what I want,” Weiss said. “But it's all over the place, and it's a bit irritating.”

“Perhaps you could wear a ponytail?” Ciel suggested. “That would help to keep everything under control.”

“I hadn't thought of that,” Weiss said. “But that may work.”

“We won't want to try it here,” Winter said. “That could crimp the wig, and until we've bought it, we should avoid that. I can show you roughly what it would look like, however.”

Winter gathered Weiss' extended hair back, loosely holding it in the position of a ponytail.

Weiss finally felt as if she had found her hairstyle. This was what she was looking for, this was _her_.

“That's exactly what I've been looking for,” Weiss said.

“Excellent,” Winter beamed. “Then we'll take this one.”

Weiss noticed the price tag, and immediately felt her heart sink.

“It's rather expensive,” Weiss said. “A hundred seventy-five.”

“And?” Winter asked.

Weiss cocked her head to the side, confused.

“Isn't that-”

“Like I said,” Winter smiled. “I'm happy to get you whatever you need, especially since I'm using father's money to do so.”

Weiss nodded, nervously.

“Thank you,” she said.

The next few hours were spent going all around town. Weiss ended up getting blue press-on nails, several more shirts, skirts, and pants (including a pair of grey skinny jeans she absolutely adored).

Weiss appreciated everything, and hoped that in time she would grow to feel more comfortable shopping, but as things stood currently, by the time the trip was done and they were returning home, Weiss was glad to have some time away from the public eye. She enjoyed the shopping itself, but she felt just... awkward shopping for clothes that actually fit her. She felt like any moment, Jacques was going to come around the corner to scorn her.

The payoff of the morning's events was certainly obvious. When she got back to Winter's place, she didn't know what she wanted to start with, between changing into her skinny jeans and a off-the-shoulder top she had fallen in love with, putting on the press-on nails, or doing her makeup and putting on the wig.

Fortunately, Winter had the answer.

“Before we do your makeup, you should get dressed. You'll put on the wig after we're done,” she said.

“Alright,” Weiss said, slightly confused.

“You always want to get into whatever outfit you'll be wearing _before_ you do makeup,” Winter explained. “That way you don't smudge anything.”

“That... actually makes a lot of sense,” Weiss said.

“And your wig has bangs, so we need to apply your makeup first,” Winter said. Weiss nodded, hurrying to put on clothes that actually had her personality.

* * *

Tai stepped out of his car, stretching. Ruby followed, holding the door open for Penny.

“Alright,” Tai said. “I'm giving you each fifty dollars to spend however you want here. I've got my phone if you need to get ahold of me, I'm gonna be spending the whole day at the bowling alley.”

“By yourself?” Ruby smirked.

“Not quite,” Qrow said from behind Ruby.

“Hello, Mr. Branwen,” Penny greeted politely.

“Hey, Penny,” Qrow said. “Like usual, it's cool to call me Qrow. I prefer it actually.”

“While you two knuckleheads are running off in laser tag, we'll be relaxing like a bunch of old guys should,” Tai chuckled.

“Hey,” Qrow said. “We're not that old.”

“Yeah,” Tai laughed. “Keep telling yourself that.”

Ruby turned to Penny as they walked towards the building.

“So, what should we do first?” Ruby asked gleefully.

“Last time I was here, I spent a majority of time playing the arcade games,” Penny said. “So I would be willing to try new things, but your suggestions would be appreciated.”

“Cool, we'll start with some games, then, and then we'll move over to laser tag,” Ruby said. “Let's go get our passes.”

They took turns choosing games for about a half hour. Penny chose first, with one of her favorites, skeeball. Then, Ruby had them play a motorcycle racing game, which Penny was decent at, but Ruby got first place at. Penny then suggested Guitar Hero. Perhaps the most surprising part of them playing arcade games was when Ruby challenged Penny to one of those gun games that was essentially a more complex Duck Hunt, and Penny was flawless.

Not long after, Ruby decided it was time to introduce Penny to laser tag. They joined the line, and true to Pyrrha's words earlier, the people in front of them in line looked very familiar.

“Ruby! Penny!” Nora cheered, upon recognizing Penny's voice.

“Salutations, Nora!” Penny replied.

“How's it going?” Ruby asked.

“Oh, it's been great,” Nora said. “Ren and I have been having a blast! We're already making plans to go to Roaring Springs as soon as it's open again.”

Roaring Springs was a water-based amusement park next door, which was unfortunately only open for the summer.

“Ooh,” Ruby said. “Penny, what do you think, we should go, too!”

“That sounds nice,” Penny said, uncomfortably. “However, I... don't know how to swim.”

Penny hiccuped as soon as she had spoken. Ruby got the feeling there was something going unsaid, but didn't want to push the matter if Penny wasn't comfortable talking about it.

“Okay,” Ruby said. “If you ever want me to teach you-”

“It's fine,” Penny said. “For now, I think I'd feel more comfortable on dry land.”

Ruby saw Nora give Penny a sympathetic look, but Ruby again decided it was best not to push the matter.

“Dry land it is!” Ruby nodded. “After laser tag, you wanna go do go karts?”

“I'd love to,” Penny said.

“Ooh, I bet we can beat you two!” Nora said. “As long as I'm driving. Last time Ren drove, we got last place.”

“Safety should be one's primary concern while driving,” Ren said.

“We'll be fine!” Nora said.

Before long, however, the line moved forward, and they found themselves watching an obnoxiously long video about playing laser tag safely.

Ruby, and Penny found themselves on Red Team, with a boy wearing a pink shirt named Franklin, his friend who was wearing a brown jacket, who went by Lopez, and a few other assorted teenagers.

The rival team, Green Team, consisted of Ren and Nora, and then a few other teenagers, the loudest of the bunch being a redhead named Jane, a boy with short hair named Kaiden, and a very athletic kid named James.

“Alright,” the instructor sighed. “No running, stay at least a full foot away from any other players, and no climbing on the equipment. You're all teenagers, so I know none of you are gonna listen, but I have to say it, at least.”

“You got it!” Nora said.

“If it helps, we'll pretend to listen,” Jane said.

“Cool,” the instructor said. “Alright, green team, come with me.”

He led green team out of the briefing room and across the arena, then came back for red team a minute later. They all synchronized their vests and laser guns to one of the computer screens by their team's base, and then the game began.

“Alright,” Ruby said, waving Penny over. “We're going to go up that ramp, we'll have a height advantage on their whole team from up there.”

“Let's go,” Penny agreed, as they ran.

They made it a few steps before James came around the corner, and they both immediately opened fire, quickly eliminating him from the game.

Next, they made it to the top of the ramp. Kaiden and Jane were about to flank them, before they were caught in a firefight with Lopez and Franklin.

Ruby and Penny took advantage of the distraction and hurried to the balcony, where they could attack the enemy base.

“Clever, _Red_ ,” Nora said. “But predictable.”

Ruby's buzzer immediately sounded as Nora eliminated her from the game.

Ruby wasn't necessarily out, but she couldn't score any more eliminations until she essentially 'respawned' at her team's base.

Penny was outnumbered, and Ren and Nora were about to take her out, as well.

She dove to the side, firing twice as Ren and Nora also opened fire, and they were all shocked when at the end of it, Penny was the last player standing.

She wasted no time turning to face the green base, firing on their team's computer, which provided several times the point award that eliminating a player gave. Ruby hurried back to her base, as the automated voice boomed from the speakers, counting out Penny's score as she opened fire.

* * *

“Almost done,” Ciel said, waving Winter over. “Now you just need to go ahead and apply your setting spray, and Winter is bringing the wig.”

“Thank you, again, for showing me how to do all of this,” Weiss said.

“Of course,” Ciel nodded. “You are an impressively fast learner.”

Weiss set down her brush, as Winter helped her set up her wig.

“Now, for your ponytail,” Winter said. “You can wear it high or low, and you can wear it on a side if you'd like.”

“Could you put it to the right, as a high ponytail?” Weiss asked.

“Absolutely,” Winter said. “Give me just a moment.”

About thirty seconds passed, and then Winter straightened out the ponytail, making sure it wasn't going to be lopsided.

“Alright,” Winter said. “Go ahead and take a look.”

Weiss stood, a little bit shaky on her platforms before she felt balanced again. She walked into the bathroom, and looked in the mirror.

This... this felt _complete_.

She had felt similar before, but now, with her nails, and with the wig...

Warren wasn't looking back at her.

 _Weiss_ was looking back at her.

She cursed herself, struggling to maintain a grip on her emotions so she didn't cry and ruin the makeup she had just spent an hour applying, before she remembered she'd applied setting spray.

She pulled out her phone, knowing that in the rough days to come, she would need this as a fallback.

She took several pictures, some selfies, some pictures of herself in the mirror. Each one was like a little bit of a lifeline, being made specifically for her.

And then, finally content with the result, she returned to the living room, where Winter and Ciel had started to watch TV.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I finally feel like myself.”

“I'm glad,” Winter said. “Now, how about you enjoy a night as yourself for once?”

“That sounds lovely,” Weiss said, taking a seat. “I... um... I had one more thing I wanted to ask for, if it's alright.”

“Of course,” Winter said. “I'm happy to help.”

“It's... awkward,” Weiss said. “Um... so, you know how trans men use binders?”

“Yes,” Winter nodded.

“Well, there's something similar trans women use, called a gaff,” Weiss said. “It's basically special underwear made to help hide... things I wish I didn't have at all.”

“I'd be happy to get you one,” Winter said.

“I've already found one I want, but I couldn't buy it because father would see,” Weiss said.

“If it would help,” Ciel said. “You could buy it with my card, then reimburse me. That way it wouldn't be traced back to Jacques.”

“I would greatly appreciate that,” Winter nodded.

“You've both been incredibly supportive, and I can't thank you enough for everything,” Weiss said.

* * *

“You're being ridiculous,” Nora said, as they left the go-kart track.

“I'm just saying, there's value in caution,” Ren said.

“Right,” Nora said. “That's why the one time you drove, we lost.”

Ren sighed in mock annoyance. Nora grinned.

“So, where to next?” Ruby asked.

“I have been wanting to mini-golf,” Penny suggested.

“Ooh, could we join you?” Nora asked. “Ren loves mini-golf.”

“I'd be down for that,” Ruby said.

“As would I,” Penny agreed. They began to walk down to the mini-golf track, and each of them got their own ball and club.

“I've actually never been mini-golfing,” Ruby said. “Usually Yang is with me, and she hates golf.”

“Okay, actual golf, I understand hating,” Nora said. “But mini-golf is a blast!”

“Mini-golf is far more entertaining with arenas designed for enjoyment and genuine entertainment,” Penny began. “On top of that, they don't have actual grass, they are largely made from fake grass and synthetic plants which don't require water. Actual golf courses are usually only hospitable to the wealthy, and consume a significant amount of water. The amount of labor and water that go into maintaining a golf course is not only environmentally harmful, but can have serious negative impact on the surrounding area.”

“I agree,” Ren said.

Ruby grinned, as she set her golf ball down.

“I love how smart you are,” Ruby said.

Ruby turned to line up her shot, only catching out of the corner of her eye that Penny blushed when Ruby had complimented her.

 _Huh_ , Ruby thought. _I guess Penny doesn't get complimented enough. That's a shame, she really is an amazing girl._

“Thank you, Ruby,” Penny said, awkwardly. Ruby sighed, knowing she hadn't come anywhere near the goal. Penny went to line up her shot, and Ruby watched in awe as Penny got a hole-in-one.

“You're amazing!” Ruby exclaimed. “How are you so coordinated?”

“I suppose I have spent a lot of time practicing coordination,” Penny admitted, blushing once again.

“Well, it's definitely impressive,” Nora said, swinging her own club. The ball ricocheted off the wooden perimeter, flinging into the air, and landing right where Nora had put it in the first place. “I, uh... I'm better at the strength sports. Like power lifting.”

“And that is the difference between strength and dexterity,” Ren said, as he took her spot.

“Oh, you're talking about dungeons and dragons,” Penny said.

“I am,” Ren confirmed.

“I've been wanting to join Jaune's game,” Ruby said.

“His current game is about to end,” Ren said. “However, when his campaign ends, Flynt is going to run a game so Jaune can play, and I know he's looking for more players. So far, Jaune and I are all he has.”

“Ooh, I'll have to join!” Ruby said.

“I'm actually thinking of joining, too!” Nora said. “Ren's been making me wanna play a barbarian.”

“I would like to play too, if that's alright,” Penny said.

“You'll all have to ask Flynt directly,” Ren clarified. “But I think he'd appreciate that.”

As the game went on, Ruby continued to be amazed at Penny's near-perfect coordination. On the hardest course, Penny was able to win with her third swing. Even Ren, who was also very skilled, needed five. Nora and Ruby ended up giving up at twenty.

“Is there anything else you wanted to do?” Ruby asked.

“Yes,” Penny nodded. “Due to the time, I would recommend that we eat.”

Ruby looked at her phone, nodding in agreement as the display read out twelve-sixteen.

“Well, they've got plenty to eat here,” Ruby said. “I know at the bowling alley, they have some decent options.”

“Bowling would make an enjoyable activity,” Penny nodded.

Within a few minutes, they had sat down in the bowling alley in the lane immediately next to Tai and Qrow's game.

Penny took a seat with a hamburger in her hands, as Ruby got started on her plate of hot dogs.

“Been having fun?” Qrow asked from across the table.

Ruby nodded.

“We have,” Penny replied.

“I bet you two have been bored, bowling for three hours,” Ruby said.

“Are you kidding me?” Tai chuckled. “This is amazing. It's really nice to just sit down for a bit.”

“You sit down all the time,” Ruby scoffed.

“Yeah, it's good for my health,” Tai said.

“Listen, you can't spend your whole life doing marathons and running track,” Qrow said.

“He has a point,” Penny said. “There is a variety of sports you could apply yourself to. I feel like you would enjoy soccer.”

Ruby replied by pulling out her phone and opening to a picture of herself with a trophy she had gotten in junior high for soccer.

“I see,” Penny replied.

“So,” Qrow said. “We're about to get started on our first play of the year, and I think you two will like it.”

“Ooh, what play?” Ruby asked.

“Well, it's a bit controversial,” Qrow said. “And that's why I'm doing it. I take it you're familiar with _Rent_?”

“ _Rent_ is one of my favorite musicals of all time!” Penny said.

“Oh, _Rent_ is amazing!” Ruby said.

“Yeah, I figured you'd be fans,” Qrow said. “I'm just glad you two haven't been pestering me about a certain musical.”

“Oh?” Ruby asked.

“Everyone,” Qrow sighed. “Damn near _everyone_ has been asking me if we'll do _Hamilton_. It's not even that I just won't do it, I'd love to, but it hasn't been released yet.”

“Besides, that's boooring,” Ruby said.

“Well, on one hand, it makes for an entertaining way of focusing on colonial-era United States history, but it also has several inaccuracies,” Penny noted.

“Even so, people love it,” Qrow said. “Oobleck still complains to me that every single year, _literally every single year_ since it came out, he brings up who wrote the _Federalist Papers_ and without failure, someone always replies ' _John Jay got sick after writing five. James Madison wrote twenty-nine. Hamilton wrote... the other fifty-one!_ '”

Ruby laughed.

“Yup, this year it was Flynt,” Ruby said.

“What a surprise,” Qrow chuckled. “He's been one of the loudest voices for us to do _Hamilton_.”

“So, Penny, I hear you're one of the best cheerleaders Glynda's ever seen,” Tai said.

“Really?” Penny asked. “I did not realize she was that impressed.”

“Oh, yeah,” Qrow said. “Kiddo, it's not exactly easy to impress her at all. When she actually _bragged_ during a staff meeting about you, I couldn't believe my ears.”

Ruby grinned.

“I can't wait to see you cheerlead!” Ruby said. “This will be the first year I go to a football game.”

“Wow, you're really serious about this,” Tai said. “You _hate_ football.”

“It's the worst sport!” Ruby exclaimed. “It's so _boring_ , and it's overrated.”

“Tough break,” Qrow laughed. “You had two kids and they both hate football.”

“I know, right?” Tai said. “I mention that I was a quarterback and they _laugh_.”

“More like quarter _dork_ ,” Ruby said.

“You should take up comedy,” Tai said.

“So, you kids wanting to hang here for a few more hours?” Qrow asked.

“I think after I've finished eating, I will have gotten my fill for now,” Penny said. Ruby nodded in agreement.

“How about we hang out at my place for a bit, then?” Ruby asked. “I've got a lot of great two-player games.”

“I would enjoy that,” Penny said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, I've been a bit busy. Hopefully I can make it up to you with a double upload? Chapter nineteen will be out in a few minutes, so stay tuned if you happen to be reading this as soon as its out (although unless you read as fast as Blake, it'll probably be out by the time you're done.)


	18. The Apology

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss attempts to make amends for her bigoted behavior in the past. Some of the decisions she makes may not pan out as she intended. (Entirely Weiss-focused, no other characters narrate this chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, last chapter was fluff.   
> If anything, this chapter is the opposite, so the TW here is gonna be a pretty heavy list.
> 
> TW this chapter for bullying, homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, dysphoria, discussion of voting that bears a lot of resemblance to the 2016 and 2020 United States Presidential Elections, mentions of transgender teenagers being forced to use the wrong locker rooms and bathrooms, use of the f-slur (it is censored, but made clear that it was said), physical violence, explicit sexual language, manipulation, brief mention of TERF rhetoric, verbal child abuse, emotional child abuse, post traumatic stress disorder, and gaslighting.

Weiss sighed in regret as she pulled her polo back on, the wig already off and the makeup already wiped away. She ran her fingers through her hair, getting a feel for the length. Her hair was nearing three inches. If the past was any indication, any moment Jacques would be getting ready to force her to get it cut. Weiss, on the other hand, knew for a fact that she wouldn't be able to take that, so she had been working on a solution, and believed she had found one.

She could gel her hair to hide the length. It wouldn't be ideal, it wouldn't be the best thing for her hair, but it would be preferable to getting it all cut off entirely.

She winced, taking in her reflection one more time before she stepped back into Winter's living room.

Since she wasn't going to be coming back here regularly, and she was considering taking a new risk by potentially letting herself be free when Jacques wasn't home, she had made a bold move by packing her wig, a few of her favorite clothes, and part of her makeup kit into her backpack.

Winter didn't love the idea, as it was risky, but ultimately she wasn't about to stop Weiss from doing this.

“Please be careful,” Winter said, halfway through the drive home. “I understand why, and I can't say I blame you, but if father finds out...”

“If he finds out, I know what he'll do,” Weiss said, bitterly. “I'm not planning on lounging in the living room, with a full face of makeup. I'd just like to have access to all of this, for when I have time to myself. I may even bring it to hang out with friends... if father ever lets me have time away from those _stupid_ assignments.”

“Weiss,” Winter sighed. “I want that for you. Unfortunately, I can tell you from my own experience that if you're waiting for his permission, you'll never get it. What I can offer you is the chance to wear it during weekends, when I'm 'teaching you business practices'. The more time you're away from that _sick excuse of a father_ , the better.”

“I'm not about to argue against that,” Weiss nodded. “I just hate going back there.”

* * *

“I'd like your help,” Weiss said, as she took a seat next to Blake at the bus stop. Blake raised an eyebrow.

“I've made some progress, but I'd like to apologize to all of the people I've hurt,” Weiss said. “I haven't exactly treated people well.”

“How can I help?” Blake asked, putting her bookmark in the second book of the _Obsidian Trilogy_.

“Well...” Weiss said. “I know I have no right to ask this, but would you be willing to be there when I apologize? I feel more confident with friends around, and you've supported me, even when I didn't deserve it. Even when I pushed you away.”

“I'd be happy to be there with you,” Blake said.

“This past week... I've finally felt like I had a real friend,” Weiss said. “I honestly wouldn't blame you if you hadn't wanted anything to do with me.”

“I could never just walk away from someone being treated like you are,” Blake said. “You've made mistakes. If I'm being honest, you've made really bad mistakes. But, you're working to fix them, and I think that's wonderful.”

“It means the world to me that you believe in me,” Weiss said.

Weiss watched as the bus came around the corner, and she stood, groggily. The two days of decent sleep had helped, but the moment she had gotten back to Jacques' house, everything had been right as it was. True to her expectations, she only managed an hour and forty-five minutes of sleep the previous night, and it was already getting to her again.

When she had stepped onto the bus the day after she had collapsed in the hallway, the look on the Malachite twins' faces had been priceless.

She had been talking to Blake, _positively_ , and Melanie and Miltia looked like they had just seen an alien walk onto the bus and demand to see their leader.

This time, however, Weiss had a different goal in mind. There were four people on the bus she needed to make amends with, and much to her luck, they were all sitting close enough to each other that she could get it done on this ride.

“So that's when she gets a hole in one, because she bounces it off the windmill!” Nora said, in the seat behind Weiss as she sat down.

“That's amazing!” Neon replied.

“I'm excited to play,” Jaune said from the seat opposite of Neon and Nora, talking to Ren. “I've been wanting to play a paladin for about a year now.”

“So I heard a rumor,” Neptune said, in front of Jaune and Ren, and across from where Weiss and Blake sat. “First play of the year is gonna be _Rent_.”

“I'll believe it when I see it,” Sun said. “I bet you twenty bucks it's just gonna be _Romeo and Juliet_ again.”

“Oh, I'll take those odds,” Neptune said.

“Excuse me,” Weiss said, after steeling herself. “Neon, Jaune, Sun, and Neptune, could I have a moment with you?”

Neon pulled herself up so she was resting her chin on the back of Weiss' seat. Jaune leaned in, skeptically. Sun and Neptune leaned in.

“Yeah?” Jaune asked, his tone irritable.

“I'd like to apologize,” Weiss said. “I've been discriminatory and downright hateful to all of you. I promise that it won't happen again, and I would like to make up for this in any way possible.”

“Sure,” Jaune said. “Yeah, this seems legit.”

“Hmm,” Neon said. “Nah, you don't have to do anything. I forgive you.”

“What?” Jaune, Weiss, Sun, and Neptune all asked at the same time.

“Just like that?” Neptune asked.

“Neon,” Weiss said. “I really hurt you, time after time. I'd like to do something to make up for it.”

“The way I see it, you either mean it, and you being better in the future is all the compensation I need, or you're lying, in which case nothing changes,” Neon said. “I don't need anything material to sway that. So, I forgive you.”

“Okay, well, not all of us see it that way,” Jaune said. “You really wanna make up for how you've treated us for years? How about you stand up to people like Cardin, hell, people _like you_.”

“Okay,” Weiss said, nodding. “You have my word.”

“Like that stands for anything,” Jaune muttered.

“I'm with Jaune,” Neptune said. “Maybe you're being legitimate here, but just saying a few words doesn't mean a lot. What would have made a big difference is if you'd stayed in the election, so someone had a chance of beating Cardin, because as it stands, both Robyn and Marrow are struggling to be able to keep up with his offer of funding every program in the school. We start voting _today_ , and everyone's talking about what their department could do with _his_ help. We both know if Cardin wins, things are gonna get a lot harder on all of us.”

“I...” Weiss said, caught off guard. She had no idea how to respond to that one. She had worked so hard to stop campaigning as her father's puppet, but _now_ she suddenly wished she had stayed in the running.

“Yeah, dude,” Sun agreed. “Look, my vote's for Robyn, but honestly, she's got no chance. Unless you know a way to get half of the school to somehow turn on Cardin, we're boned.”

“Why did you even drop out in the first place?” Jaune asked.

“Because,” Weiss said, aware that this wasn't going to help at all. “It was never what I wanted. That being said, it was shortsighted and if I could take it back now, I would.”

“Yeah, well, you're not the one that's going to be hurting when Cardin is suddenly the most powerful student here. For one, there's no law in Idaho that actually _requires_ that trans kids be allowed to use the locker room and bathroom of their choice. If Cardin says students don't want me in the boys' locker room, or if someone freaks out because Neon uses the girls' bathroom, then he can move to try to convince the staff that we shouldn't be allowed to do that. What do you think would happen to Neon if she had to use the boys' locker room? You saw what Cardin did, just to Mercury.”

“Yeah, on top of that, he could essentially dissolve Pride club,” Neptune said. “And we can all still hang out, but right now, not only do we have actual resources provided to us by the school, but we also finally have made real progress in getting sex education to include gay and trans sex education. If Cardin wanted, he could take that all away.”

“You wanna make this right, help us stop Cardin,” Sun said.

Weiss rubbed her temples, thinking. After just a few seconds, she came to an idea, although perhaps not a _great_ idea.

“Maybe I can try to match his donation offers,” Weiss said.

“That's a great idea,” Jaune said. “How are you planning on telling enough people to make a difference?”

“And what are you gonna say, you'll do that if people don't vote for Cardin? The school will consider that tampering with the votes,” Neptune said.

“Maybe I can try to get onto Marrow or Robyn's cabinets, and make the offer as an extension of their campaigns.”

“Okay,” Jaune said. “Again, how are you gonna tell everyone in time to make a difference?”

Weiss grimaced.

“Okay,” she said. “I'll need three things to pull this off. Number one, I need someone that works in announcements.”

“Hello!” Neon said. “I'm the anchorwoman, you know.”

"And I'm the cameraman," Neptune said.

“What are the other two things?” Sun asked.

“My father,” Weiss said. “And luck.”

Weiss pulled out her phone and dialed her father.

After a few seconds...

“What is it, boy?” Jacques asked, from the other end. Weiss could hear the car in the background, and was aware he was driving to the office.

“I know I lost my chance at winning the election, but I may be able to be part of a cabinet,” Weiss said. “If I do so, could I have my allowance reinstated for the purpose of raising funds?”

“Is it necessary?” Jacques sighed.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “It's monumental in my chances of success.”

“What part of cabinet?” Jacques asked.

“Public relations,” Weiss said.

Jacques scoffed.

“All of this for _public relations_? No. I wouldn't give it for anything less than Vice Presidential, and that's being generous if I say so myself.”

“If I can secure that position, then could we work something out?” Weiss asked.

“If you work that out, I can provide you with five hundred dollars a month for the purpose of donations, plus reinstating your two hundred dollar a month allowance,” Jacques said. “But this is all under one agreement, and hear it well: next year, you _will_ be the presidential pick, or you'll be repaying me every dollar, even if you have to work at a burger joint, is that understood?”

“Yes, father,” Weiss sighed.

“Good. At least you're showing some initiative again, for once,” Jacques said.

Weiss hung up, and immediately got the feeling she'd made a deal with the devil.

“So?” Neptune asked.

“I can get the funding,” Weiss began. “If, and only if, I can somehow take over either May or Harriet's positions.”

* * *

Weiss sighed, watching as Joanna, Robyn, May, and Fiona all got off the next bus over. She looked over to Blake, who gave her a look of sympathy.

“Could I speak to you for a moment?” Weiss asked, forcing herself to walk over to Robyn. Robyn crossed her arms, glaring down at her.

The height difference between them was phenomenal, with Robyn standing at almost six feet tall (about 182 cm). Robyn was about eight inches taller than her, which didn't exactly make Weiss feel braver.

“Sure, why not?” Robyn scoffed. “So far, you've managed-”

“Robyn,” May said. “Please.”

Robyn sighed, taking a deep breath in, then letting it out.

“I know this is an unfair thing to ask,” Weiss said. “And it's just as unfair to May, and for that, I'm sorry.”

May raised an eyebrow, skeptically.

“Withdrawing from the election wasn't a smart move, and I realize that now,” Weiss said. “I withdrew because I never wanted anything to do with it, but my father still wants me to be part of the student government.”

“Hang on,” Robyn said, putting two and two together. “Don't tell me you're about to try to be my VP.”

“I'm not crazy about the idea, either,” Weiss said. “And if it was up to me, I'd just be trying to sign on as your PR. I've become aware of what Cardin will be capable of if he wins, and I don't think either of us like your chances. Your campaign is going to lose, Robyn.”

“So did you come here to ask to by my VP or to talk shit?” Robyn scoffed.

“I'm not trying to insult you,” Weiss said. “Cardin's offer to buy the election is going to win it for him, and everyone's going to hurt under his leadership. I want to see literally anyone but him get elected, and at this point I only know one way to do that. I've talked to my father, and if I can satisfy his ambitions by getting a VP spot, he's willing to give me seven hundred dollars a month for fundraising purposes. Robyn, Cardin's going to buy the election, unless someone can match his offer. If you have my father's money behind your campaign, plus your morals, we might actually beat him. Without it, it's not going to happen. Personally, between you and Marrow, I want you to win, so I'm asking you first.”

Robyn crossed her arms, thinking.

“I'm sorry, May. I promise, this isn't just some awful excuse to try to take your position,” Weiss said.

May didn't respond, she seemed unsure of what to think, and that hurt Weiss more than anything Robyn could say to her.

“You were right about one thing,” Robyn said. “I care about my morals, more than anything else. I'd rather lose the election than accept your family's blood money _and_ throw my girlfriend to the wolves in the process.”

Weiss sighed.

“Robyn, it isn't just about you winning. It's about Cardin losing,” Weiss said.

“If Cardin wins, think about what he'll do to pride club, think about what he'll do with that power,” Blake urged. “Look, I understand that you're cautious to trust Warren, but he's trying to help and at this point, he may be the only person that can stop Cardin.”

“My campaign isn't for sale,” Robyn said. “And if I win this election, it will be because I earn it, not because I stooped to Cardin's level.”

Robyn stormed off, closely followed by Joanna.

Weiss sighed, looking down.

“May?” Blake said, causing Weiss to look back up. May looked to the two of them, irritated.

“I-” Weiss began.

“I'll need some time to figure out how I feel about what just happened,” May said, before moving to join Robyn. Fiona glared up at Weiss.

“She vouched for you,” Fiona spat. And with that, she walked off as well.

Weiss felt as if she had shattered on the spot.

She just wanted to make up for her past mistakes, and now somehow, in trying to do so, she had made things _worse_.

She didn't have a lot of time to linger on the matter, however, before Marrow walked by.

“If you wanted to talk to Marrow, now's your chance,” Blake said.

“Okay,” Weiss said, dejected. She looked up, taking a step over to Marrow, who stopped as she approached.

“Can I help you?” Marrow asked.

“I know I've made a lot of mistakes,” Weiss said. “But I don't want Cardin to win.”

“Yeah,” Marrow sighed. “For what it's worth, thanks for the endorsement. I don't think it'll change anything, but I appreciate the thought.”

“I... I may be able to win you the election,” Weiss said. “But you'd have to make me your VP.”

“Whoa, uh,” Marrow said, scratching the back of his head. “Alright, explain?”

“Okay,” Weiss said. “The only reason I was running in the first place was because my father demands success. He was upset when I threw away my spot in the elections, and he wants me to amend this issue. He's offered to give me seven hundred dollars a month for the sake of fundraisers.”

“Holy...” Marrow said. “Yeah, that would do it.”

“Only one issue,” Weiss said. “He's only willing to give me that if I'm the VP.”

Marrow thought for a moment.

“You're sure you could deliver on this? Making a promise I can't keep won't help anything,” Marrow said.

“You have my word,” Weiss said. “I know this requires a lot of trust, and I'm sorry I can't prove anything right now.”

“Well, either you're telling the truth, and we may be able to beat Cardin, or you're not, and I'm screwed either way,” Marrow said. “Okay. How are you planning on getting the school on-board this quick?”

“Neon's going to get me onto the presidential announcements this morning,” Weiss said. “I'm going to offer to match Cardin's offer as long as you get elected.”

“Alright. I'll pull the right strings to get you swapped for Harriet,” Marrow said. “I hope this works.”

* * *

“Alright, and, action!” Neptune said, behind the camera.

“Hello, Taylor High School,” Marrow said, next to Weiss. “I'm sure you're all eager to vote here in just a few minutes. As such, I feel that it's important that you're up to date on the current standing of the vice presidential picks. Harriet has resigned from her spot as my vice president, and in her place, Warren Schnee will be my pick. He has a few words to say about this.”

“Thank you, Marrow,” Weiss said. “I know it's been an interesting month so far, and there was a very important point made. Taylor High School is in desperate need of more funding. Because of this, I've decided to assist Marrow's campaign with my own finances. If Marrow is elected, you have both my word and his that all of the current offers to improve funding will be matched, with a few additional benefits. I know you've all been promised that funding will improve, but these promises come from someone purely interested in athletics. I have a personal interest in art and theater, and I have been a member of chess club since I first came to Taylor High.”

“Why this is so important to understand is that there's a lot more I'd like to bring to the school,” Marrow explained. “I share Robyn Hill's values, I see the importance of environmentalism projects and pride club. There's been a dangerous lack of inclusivity in this school, and I'd like to amend that. Vote Amin to see the benefits of every campaign that's been discussed this year.”

Neptune stopped the recording, and Weiss let out a breath of relief.

Cardin and Robyn, with their respective vice presidential picks, watched from the sides, ready to make their own announcements. Robyn looked lost in thought, after everything they had said.

“What the hell was that?” Cardin scoffed. “I thought you had a freakout any time someone brought up leadership.”

“Cardin,” Marrow said, rising from his seat to make room. “Stop harassing a member of my cabinet.”

“You really think you have a chance against me? Who would ever vote for you?” Cardin scoffed. “You may be able to try to buy this election, but I still have more popularity than you.”

Robyn, May, Marrow, and Weiss all winced, aware Cardin still had the advantage there.

“Yeah, what are you gonna do?” Russel scoffed. “Cardin's got a hand in every sport and throws yearly parties. You're off sucking dick in your spare time, you-”

Russel concluded his sentence with a homophobic slur Weiss would never repeat.

Russel had a sick grin of satisfaction as Cardin laughed. Marrow, on the other hand, winced far more viscerally than Weiss had ever seen before.

Only a second had passed, before May was standing face to face with Russel, and before Weiss saw what happened, Russel was on the ground, with his hand over his eye.

“You fucking bitch!” he seethed.

“May!” Robyn said, putting a hand on May's shoulder.

“Hey, keep your _freak_ on its leash,” Cardin snapped, advancing on May and Joanna.

Weiss stepped in front of them before she knew what she was doing.

“Back off,” Weiss said, glaring at him.

“Hey, that's enough!” Qrow said, stepping back into the room. “What the hell happened here?”

“Robyn's boyfriend just assaulted my VP,” Cardin snapped.

“That's enough,” Weiss said.

“Okay, all of you, back away from each other,” Qrow snapped. “Here's what's going to happen. We've only got twenty minutes to get the announcements filmed and edited before the day begins. So if you wanna get your messages in on time, I need cooperation from everyone.”

He turned to Neon and Oscar, who were both fuming, glaring at Cardin and Russel, their expressions livid.

“Anchors, I want you ready to film. Can you all manage everything while I take care of this?” Qrow asked.

“Yeah,” Neon said, sitting back down as Neptune got his camera ready.

“Good, you're all good to get started, as long as Velvet's ready with the teleprompter?” Qrow asked.

“We're ready,” Velvet confirmed.

“Go ahead,” Qrow said, before urging all of the other students out into the hallway.

Russel was already starting to form a black eye, and Weiss made a note never to piss off May.

“Freak,” Cardin muttered, walking past May.

“You say another word and you're not making it into the announcements,” Qrow snapped. “I'll already be giving Ozpin my recommendation that you're barred from the election, so if you're smart, Mr. Winchester, you'll not say another word unless it's polite enough to be said at my brother-in-law's family thanksgiving.”

Cardin rolled his eyes, leaning against a locker.

“Okay, what happened?” Qrow asked. “I wanna hear it from Warren and Marrow.”

“We finished our announcement,” Marrow said. “After that, some hostile language was thrown around, including Russel...”

“Yeah?” Qrow asked, confused.

“He called him the f-slur,” May said.

Qrow's expression immediately changed from confusion to anger.

“Is that true?” Qrow asked. Robyn, Marrow, and Weiss all nodded.

“I didn't call him anything,” Russel said.

“That's a really specific insult against me,” Marrow said. “You really think-”

“Hey,” Qrow said. “Listen. I need to understand what happened. What happened next?”

May sighed.

“I punched him,” May said.

“After that, Cardin got in her face, and started getting really aggressive,” Weiss said.

“Warren stood between them, and that's about when you came in,” Marrow said.

“Is there anything being left out?” Qrow asked.

“Yeah,” Russel said, glaring at May. Weiss cringed, readying herself for whatever he was about to make up to slander her. “You-”

“No,” Cardin interrupted. “There's not anything you left out.”

“What are you-” Russel snapped.

“Shut up,” Cardin muttered. “You keep this up and I'm gonna have to pick someone else.”

Russel rolled his eyes, and then immediately winced.

 _He must be cutting his losses_ , Weiss thought. 

“Okay,” Qrow said. “May, Russel, both of you are gonna have to go see Principal Oz. Regardless of my opinions of what happened, physical violence happened, and I gotta report that. I'll send you with a few students to make sure you two don't kill each other on the way down. Cardin, Robyn, I'll go ahead and give you a heads-up right now. After this, both of your VP choices are probably gonna be disqualified, so if you wanna call in anyone else, now's the time.”

“Are you kidding me?” Russel snapped.

May sighed, rubbing her temples.

“Hey, I don't wanna hear another word from you,” Qrow said. “I don't ever tolerate that language in my classroom, and for the record, I'm gonna make sure you don't get off any easier than she does.”

“He,” Russel interrupted. “But of course you'd take his side, fucking liberal moron-”

“Keep going,” Qrow said. “Everything you say is gonna make it back to Oz, so you're only hurting yourself right now.”

Within a couple minutes, Robyn was about to make her announcement. Weiss watched in regret, wishing Robyn hadn't been forced to this point.

“Hello, Taylor High School,” Robyn said. “It is with a heavy heart that I will be informing you that I'm withdrawing from this election. If you would like to see a better funded, more equal, more environmentally conscious school, please vote Amin.”

Robyn stood, making way for Cardin, who was joined by Sky Lark.

“What's up, Taylor High!” Cardin called, when the filming began. “So the first thing I wanna let y'all know, right off the bat, is that Sky Lark will be taking over as my vice presidential pick after some really inappropriate language was thrown around by my previous choice. As a show of goodwill that I respect and value every single one of you all, by the end of the day, I will be donating four hundred dollars to the school's pride club, as a means of apology for this despicable behavior. That being said...”

Cardin continued to ramble with that rather unsettling charisma, as Weiss turned to Robyn.

“Robyn, I'm so sorry,” Weiss said. “I... never wanted this.”

“I know,” Robyn said. “Regardless of everything that happened earlier, I don't blame you for any of this.”

“Can you believe he's this two-faced?” Marrow spat.

“It's repulsive,” Weiss said.

“For what it's worth, I'm going to make sure everyone that supported me is on your side,” Robyn said. “I'm no longer running for the position, so I don't have to worry about getting in trouble for telling the truth. I'm going to make sure everyone knows Cardin was complicit in everything that happened here.”

“Do you think May's okay?” Weiss asked.

“Probably not,” Robyn sighed. “When you're trans, every time you try to take a stand for something, people are going to turn it against you. There's probably going to be a lot of people that call this 'male aggression'.”

“And yet, if she hadn't done anything, those same people would have called her a coward,” Weiss said.

“Please let her know, if I don't get a chance to, that I appreciate her standing up for me,” Marrow said.

“I will,” Robyn said. She let out a sarcastic chuckle. “So much for the Schnee Vs Hill election, right?”

Weiss let out a bittersweet laugh.

“We were really wrong about how things would turn out,” Weiss said. “I know you have a lot of reasons not to trust me, and I don't blame you. I know what this morning looked like. If there are any projects you want funded, please, let me know and I'll see to it that they're made a priority.”

“Agreed,” Marrow said.

“You're definitely an interesting case,” Robyn said. “But thanks. It means a lot that if you two win, everything I was working toward can still happen.”

* * *

“He _what_?” Blake snapped, as Yang and Ruby sat down across from them.

“Wait, what happened?” Yang asked.

“The real reason Robyn dropped out and Cardin had to replace his pick,” Weiss sighed. “Russel was angry after Marrow and I filmed our message, so he used a very homophobic term to describe Marrow. May ended up giving Russel a black eye, and everything went chaotic. And Cardin backed Russel up at the time, he only switched gears to protect his campaign. The whole donation to Pride club is a sham, he was calling May 'he' just minutes before he filmed that.”

“What the hell?” Yang scoffed. “Do you need me to beat him up? Cause I will.”

“No,” Weiss said. “I think it'd be for the best that we just focus on making sure Cardin doesn't win.”

“Well, if it helps, I've heard a lot of people say they voted Marrow,” Ruby said.

“That does help,” Weiss said, before picking up her breakfast.

“So, unrelated question,” Ruby said. “When did you all become friends?”

“Right,” Yang said. “Uh, Ruby doesn't know.”

“I'm alright with telling her, but first,” Weiss said. “I don't want that influencing anything. This needs to be genuine.”

“What?” Ruby asked, confused.

“Ruby,” Weiss said. “I've made a lot of mistakes. Several of them were how I treated you. I'm sorry I harassed you, time after time.”

“Oh,” Ruby said. “Uh... thanks?”

“I'd like to make it up to you,” Weiss said.

“Well, honestly I don't think you need to,” Ruby said. “But if you wouldn't mind, I could use a little help with Ms. Salem's homework.

“Absolutely,” Weiss said. “If you'd like, we can exchange numbers, and you can text me if you need help.”

“Yes, please!” Ruby said.

“Um,” Weiss said. “And the other thing...”

Weiss leaned in, making sure no one else was passing their table, or listening in. Ruby leaned in, just as confused.

“Ruby, I'm transgender,” Weiss said. “I'm not out publicly yet, but my name is Weiss, and my pronouns are she/her.”

“Oh!” Ruby said, surprised. “It's nice to meet you for real, then.”

Ruby shook Weiss' hand awkwardly, and Weiss felt relief pass over her.

In a way, every time she told someone, it was like part of her felt just a little lighter, a little more free.

* * *

Weiss was both eager and anxious to get to lunch, when she knew a lot of the people she had to make amends with would be in one place.

In the library, Coco, Velvet, Flynt, and Neon were all grouped up. Luckily, she knew Neon wouldn't be an issue, but the other three may not be as simple.

In a cruel moment of irony, however, Henry, Melanie, and Miltia were only a table away, and it quickly became apparent that in order to make these amends, she would once more need to put herself in their crosshairs.

“Are you sure you can handle all of them at the same time?” Blake asked.

“It doesn't matter, it needs to be done,” Weiss said. Without another word, she took a seat across from the four of them.

Coco looked up, and despite her sunglasses covering her eyes, Weiss could tell there was no kind expression there. The same could be said of Flynt. Velvet, on the other hand, just seemed nervous.

“What the hell do you want?” Coco asked, wrapping her arm protectively around Velvet.

“I would like to apologize,” Weiss said. “I have spread rumors about all of you, I've bullied and harassed you, and I understand exactly how much that hurt you. I'm sorry. I want to be a better person. I don't expect you to forgive me, or to believe me. If there is anything I can do to help make up for anything I've ever done, just say the word and I'll be there.”

There was a long moment of tension as they all considered her words.

“Look,” Flynt said. “I appreciate the apology, but I'm not the only one you've hurt. I've seen how you treat Neon and Jaune, and that's not okay.”

“He apologized to both of us earlier today,” Neon clarified. “If that clears anything up.”

Flynt thought for a moment.

“Alright, but listen. I'm not exactly the most trusting person. I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt, but if you do anything that tells me you haven't changed, I'll be the first person to call you out on it,” Flynt said.

“That's fair,” Weiss said. “Thank you, Flynt.”

“I need to see some effort,” Coco said. “The things you've done can't just be taken back with a few words.”

“Of course,” Weiss said, giving a small nod. “For what it's worth, I never should have treated any of you like I did.”

“No, you shouldn't have,” Coco agreed.

“Coco,” Velvet said. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”

“And I'll give him one once I know he won't use it to stab us in the back,” Coco said.

“That's not unreasonable,” Weiss agreed. “I won't throw away the chance to make this right.”

* * *

“I can't even begin to put into words just how much you've been disappointing me,” Jacques boomed. Weiss scrubbed dishes, wishing she could block him out. “When I agreed to this funding, I thought you would be supporting someone in decent standing.”

“Marrow is in amazing standing,” Weiss said.

“Amazing standing?” Jacques scoffed. “The boy's parents are a therapist and a nurse. He's middle class at best. I thought you had joined Winchester's campaign, which would have been the smartest move.”

“Winchester's a jock that can't tell the floor from the ceiling,” Weiss snapped. “Marrow is far more intelligent, and actually wants to focus on education, instead of sports.”

“He will get far more value out of you than you get out of him,” Jacques spat.

 _Good_ , Weiss thought.

“If I do this, it could set me up perfectly for the next election,” Weiss said.

“Where will you be without the Malachite and Marigold families for support?” Jacques sneered. “Hell, you've proven to be so monumentally stupid that you made them you _enemies_.”

“And I've made other allies,” Weiss said. “Marrow is just as capable as Henry.”

“Based on what?” Jacques scoffed. “He's poor, he's one of those _deviants_.”

Weiss felt her blood boil.

“Henry Marigold embodied everything respectable in a young man. You'd do well to take after him.”

Weiss' anger escalated further, and she must have let it show, because Jacques smirked.

“Don't tell me you're still hanging onto that delusion,” Jacques said.

“What are you talking about?” Weiss asked, trying to ignore the rising panic in her mind at just how _familiar_ the situation was. The dishes. Her trans identity being brought up against her will. Jacques, livid.

She could feel the pain in her eye again, like it had just happened.

“I'm talking about the delusion that it's best to throw away your potential and prance around in a floofy dress. You're a Schnee, an elite, _act like it_ ,” Jacques growled.

“I'm doing everything I can!” Weiss said.

“Really? Because your recent grades have averaged at a _ninety-four_ , which is abysmally low,” Jacques said. “And your insistence that all is fine because you've decided to suck up to someone so far below our family is quite frankly appalling. I look at you, and all I can see is a disappointment that can't make even a single decision correctly. I mean, what has caused the neurons in your brain to misfire so spectacularly that you're actually alright with any of this?”

“I am doing _everything_ I can to meet your ridiculous standards!” Weiss snapped. “You overwork me, push me to stay up so late that I'm actually lucky to get two hours of sleep a night, you don't feed me unless I'm literally perfect, what am I supposed to do to ever be enough to you? _Most kids_ can get a F on their assignment and their parents will still only tell them they need to try harder, but they won't _starve them_ for it.”

“Well, if that isn't the exaggeration of the day,” Jacques laughed. “Most kids have no real potential. You, however, do. Regardless of your absurd way of looking at it, you're not being starved. If I wanted to starve you, I could easily stop paying for your food at school and let you wither away. You should honestly be grateful you're not a woman like you pretend to be, if you were, I would have given up on you by now and let you rot.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Weiss snapped. “How can you possibly think this is a decent way to raise a child?”

“I've had enough of this. From now on, I expect perfect grades from you, as well as a flawless run as Vice President, and _maybe_ I'll consider reinstating previous privileges. I can see now I've been far too lenient with you.”

“ _Too lenient_?” Weiss scoffed. “How many fathers do you know of that are as violent to their children as you?”

“Oh, is that what you'd like?” Jacques asked. “Shall I kiss your boo-boos and raise you sheltered, tell you it's okay to amount to nothing. How about I grab you a blanket to protect you from the big, scary world? As a matter of fact, maybe I should just do all of your chores, as they're far too scary and taxing for you.”

“That's not what I meant and you know it!” Weiss snapped. “You hit me when you don't approve of me! You put me in the hospital over an argument! None of this is okay!”

“Oh, are you really that fragile?” Jacques laughed. “If you can't take that, then truly the world is far too much for you.”

Weiss wanted to scream. She could feel every word, contorting her to seem weak, to seem delusional, and she didn't know what to believe.

She slammed her eyes shut, trying to rally herself, trying to gain even a semblance of control to keep herself from breaking down.

She took a deep breath in, trying not to think about the moment she felt her face hit the glass.

A deep breath out. _Don't think about it._

She shakily opened her eyes, having made almost no progress.

It was everything she could do to force herself to focus on dishes, to keep herself from lashing out and making everything worse for herself.

“Are you ignoring me now?” Jacques spat. “You're really going to resort to such childish measures?”

Weiss tried to tune him out, tried to just keep cleaning.

“I've had enough of this,” Jacques growled. “No less than perfect. Am I understood?”

“Yes, father,” Weiss said, defeated. She would give anything to have Blake here, to help her keep a shred of her sanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, usually I really detail out how my chapters are gonna go ahead of time, but this time the only thing I had was 'Weiss starts to apologize to some of the victims of her bullying' and the rest just kinda wrote itself as I went.   
> I hope you all are enjoying the absolute disaster that is Weiss' life right now, and I should have more here soon.   
> You've all been an amazing audience, and I love every comment.
> 
> Oh, also, I forgot to add it into the tags, but there's an asexual character that will be coming out at some point in the fic, and as an ace gal myself, I'm really looking forward to writing that. If you read the previous version of this story, you probably already know who it'll be, and I will clarify it'll be a while before they come out. Probably about twenty chapters from now. Just wanted to let y'all know.  
> Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter!


	19. The Election

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> September nears its close as the victor of the election is announced. Who will emerge victorious?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for sleep deprivation and exhaustion, transphobia, bullying, misgendering and deadnaming, being framed, gaslighting, homophobia, sexual remarks, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self harm, post traumatic stress disorder, more comparisons to the 2016 and 2020 united states presidential elections, verbal child abuse, and physical child abuse.
> 
> Holy shit, so I wrote most of this chapter then I got hit with a huge wave of writer's block.   
> I'm back, y'all! Enjoy this chapter!

“Alright,” Flynt said. “So, let's talk about what y'all wanna play.”

“You already know what I want,” Jaune said. “Half elf paladin.”

“I'd like to play a monk,” Ren said. “Specifically an eladrin monk.”

“I'll allow it,” Flynt nodded.

“I, uh,” Ruby said. “I have no idea what any of this means.”

“Okay,” Flynt said. “So there are thirteen classes allowed in my campaign. Artificer, barbarian, bard, cleric, druid, fighter, monk, paladin, ranger, rogue, sorcerer, warlock, and wizard. To give a short explanation, artificers invent stuff like potions and steampunk gadgets. Barbarians are brutes that hit things hard, bards are like musicians and performers with magic, clerics are essentially holy warrior mages, druids are nature mages that can shapeshift, fighters are your generic warriors, monks hit things, and they get powers kind of like _Avatar_ , paladins are like holy knights, rangers are like archers with nature magic on the side, rogues are like thieves and assassins, sorcerers have dragon magic from their bloodline, warlocks get magic powers from powerful creatures, and wizards get magic from books.”

“In other words,” Jaune explained. “Artificers are Iron Man, barbarians are like, well, Conan the Barbarian, bards are Lucio, clerics are Trevor Belmont or Alucard, druids are... like the animorphs, I guess, fighters are any generic warrior, monks are like Goku or Aang, paladins are Reinhardt, rangers are Link, rogues are anyone from _Assassin's Creed_ , and then the three big magic classes are sorcerer, which is like the Nicholas Cage _Sorcerer's Apprentice_ , warlocks, which are like how witches in _Supernatural_ work, and then Wizards, which are like Dr. Strange.”

“Okay, you speak my language,” Ruby said. “I'd like to play a Cleric. And for race, uh... is there anything with like, light magic?”

“Radiance,” Flynt said. “Radiant magic is essentially holy light. Aasimar get some abilities they can use that do that. Plus, Aasimar pairs really well with Cleric.”

“Cool,” Ruby said.

“I wanna be the punchy class,” Yang said.

“Monk,” Flynt said.

“And I'll just be a human,” Yang said.

“Ren has talked my ear off about this, and I know what I'm gonna be,” Nora said. “Goliath barbarian for the win!”

“Cool,” Flynt said. “Only thing we're missing is a full mage.”

“I'll keep an eye out,” Jaune said. “See if I can find anyone that might like playing one.”

“Cool,” Flynt said. “Let's roll all of you up.”

He passed around dice to everyone, and handed out character sheets. As Ruby began to roll up her stats, someone quickly ran into the library.

“I apologize that I was late,” Penny said, taking a seat next to Ruby. “I was hoping I would be able to play, too.”

“Absolutely,” Flynt said. “Do you know about the classes?”

“Yes, my father periodically runs edition three point five campaigns,” Penny said. “He also taught me about fifth edition, so that I would understand the differences between the two.”

“Cool,” Flynt nodded. “We're playing fifth edition.”

“Would it be alright if I played a sorcerer?” Penny asked.

“We actually really need a mage, so absolutely,” Flynt said.

“If you allow non-player handbook content, I would like to play a storm soul sorcerer,” Penny said. “Specifically, a warforged.”

“That sounds awesome,” Flynt said. “I'm totally cool with that, here's a sheet.”

He passed her a character sheet and a set of dice.

“Thank you,” Penny said.

“Hey, quick question,” Yang said. “I know we already have six players, but could I invite one more?”

“Depends on who,” Flynt said.

“Blake,” Yang said.

“Totally, she's cool,” Flynt said. “But I'm gonna cap the party there.”

“Thanks,” Yang said, before looking back down to her sheet. “Um... so I got two eighteens, a seventeen, a fifteen, a twelve, and a ten.”

Flynt choked on the soda he had been drinking.

“Wait, are you serious?” Flynt asked.

“Yeah,” Yang said. “Is that good or bad?”

“That's astronomically good,” Jaune said. “And as a variant human you'll start with a feat, too. That's broken.”

“I, uh,” Ruby said. “I got a fifteen, a fourteen, two twelves, a ten, and a nine.”

“That's a lot more balanced,” Flynt said.

“Sorry,” Yang smirked, sticking her tongue out at Ruby.

“So what days work for everyone?” Flynt asked. “It'll be after school, from five to ten PM.”

“I have cheerleading practice on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays,” Penny said. “Those days will not likely work for me.”

“I've got track every Wednesday,” Ruby said. “So that doesn't work for me, either.”

“Nora and I have wrestling Thursday night,” Yang said.

“How about Friday,” Flynt suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement. “Wow, that worked out pretty well.”

“You have no idea how lucky you are,” Jaune said.

“Speaking of,” Flynt said. “The lucky feat is banned.”

“Yeah, Neo took advantage of that feat way too much,” Jaune said.

* * *

Weiss' head felt like it was about to split in two. She was already becoming uncomfortably used to not sleeping or eating well, but now she had even more stress on top of everything. She had spent her whole lunch trying to make progress on Ms. Salem's homework, which was getting harder every day. She desperately wanted to get all of her homework done before she went home, so that she might be able to get to bed by two-o-clock AM, and get at least three hours of sleep, but that was becoming less likely by the minute.

Currently, Mr. Lionheart was mumbling about the importance of _Animal Farm_ and the underlying messages, none of which seemed so important that they should cause Weiss this much pain. On top of that, it felt like the only time Orwellian books were ever brought up was so that someone could incorrectly correlate them to their own experience, which annoyed Weiss more than she knew how to put into words.

She didn't know if Lionheart was the most intolerable part of the class, or if it was Cardin, who was flicking pencil shavings at Weiss throughout the entire class, or perhaps Henry, who had taken May's absence while she was suspended as an opportunity to lay a blue towel on his head and go around, threatening to punch people, because “it's funny”.

“Hey, I just realized something,” Cardin muttered, from the next seat over. It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her. “It makes sense, why you'd group up with Marrow, and why you didn't wanna be Henry's lapdog anymore.”

“Shut up,” Weiss snapped. Unfortunately, she had been louder than Cardin, loud enough for Lionheart to recognize her.

“Warren, do you have something to add?” Lionheart asked.

“No, I don't,” Weiss sighed.

“Then perhaps you should continue to let me teach the class,” Lionheart said.

Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Like I was saying,” Cardin said. “You take it up the ass, don't you? I bet you like guys. You always seemed like the type.”

Weiss clenched her teeth, doing her best to ignore him so that she could make it through Lionheart's homework.

“Ooh, I bet you two are fucking, aren't you?” Cardin asked. “That's why you were trying to suck Flynt's dick earlier in the library.”

“Shut up!” Weiss hissed, trying to keep her tone quieter this time. Lionheart didn't catch it, but Henry did, which was arguably worse.

“Yeah, shut up, Cardin, or I'll punch you,” Henry said, in a mocking flamboyant voice.

“Do you really think you're funny?” Weiss asked.

“No, I think I'm an attack helicopter,” Henry said. “So if you don't build me a helipad on top of the school, it's discrimination.”

Weiss felt her temper boiling, like it was about to blast out of her ears. Her patience was evaporating by the second.

“Hey, Henry,” Yang said, from Henry's other side. “Keep acting like a little shit and I'll show everyone in the school May's sad little cousin goes out like a bitch in a fight.”

Henry rolled his eyes.

“Are you threatening me? Because that's transphobic,” Henry said.

Yang cracked her knuckles, and Weiss was glad to see at least one other person was irritated.

“Yeah, Yang, don't be a bigot,” Cardin said.

“Don't even get me started on you,” Yang said.

“Also, my name's not Henry,” Henry said. “You can call me Chloe.”

“Henry,” Weiss spat, willing to do anything at this point to shut him up.

“Didn't you just hear me, you transphobe?” Henry mocked. “Mr. Lionheart?”

Lionheart looked up as Henry spoke.

“Warren and Yang are being transphobic,” Henry whined.

“What?” Yang asked.

“Are you serious?” Weiss asked.

“That's enough,” Lionheart said. “You two have been disruptive in my class all day. I don't want another word out of either of you. I also expect you to treat everyone around you with respect.”

“I never said anything transphobic!” Yang protested.

“Um, I said to call me Chloe,” Henry smirked. “And you still call me Henry. Don't you know how much pain that causes me?”

Neon scowled from several desks over, disapprovingly at Henry.

“I can confirm what Chloe said,” Cardin said. “These two bigots were being super problematic.”

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” Mr. Lionheart said. “Warren, Yang, I'm giving you one last warning. If this continues, I'll be sending you both to see Principal Ozpin.”

Weiss bit her tongue to avoid an outburst.

“Fine,” Yang said, taking a deep breath in to control her anger.

“Now, if you don't mind, I have an actual class to teach,” Mr. Lionheart said.

* * *

Weiss closed the door behind her, trying to ignore the way the house seemed to tilt. She felt exhaustion making her sick, but knew there was very little she could do about it now.

“Hello, brother,” Whitley said, from behind her when she had taken a few steps into the hallway. Weiss jumped, startled by Whitley's sudden appearance.

“Hello, Whitley,” Weiss said, as she turned to face him.

“I'm in a terrific mood today,” Whitley said. “How are you?”

“I'm wonderful,” Weiss said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

“Oh, come now, there's no reason to be upset,” Whitley said.

“Okay,” Weiss said, trying to tear away from the conversation so that she could get started on her homework.

“I just figured I'd share,” Whitley smiled. “My grades have been flawless, as always, but today, my math teacher gave me additional assignments, and I did so spectacularly, she said I'm capable of college-level work.”

Weiss' head felt like it was several hundred degrees.

“Well, I'm happy for you,” Weiss said. Whitley's smile grew for a moment, before Weiss continued. “I'm glad you don't even have to try, everything's just handed to you on a silver platter, but I don't have that luxury and I have actual work to do.”

Weiss turned and stormed off to her room, slamming the door behind her. She collapsed into the chair at her desk, trying to keep herself from crying.

Everything around her felt so frustrating and overwhelming. Apparently it wasn't enough to face hell every day at school, at Cardin and Henry's hands, but she had to endure torment from the Malachite twins on the way home, and then it wasn't even enough then, she had to have Jacques' abuse _and_ Whitley's smarmy bragging.

Everywhere she went, someone was rubbing something in her face, and she just wanted to get away from it all.

She'd considered running away before, and she found herself fantasizing about doing that now.

She could pack all of her belongings she really cared about into her backpack. Her wig, her makeup, several days of clothes. Could she stay with Blake or Yang? Maybe with May if she eventually fixed everything with her?

No, those all came with one serious problem. Jacques could easily find her there.

She longed to be literally anyone else.

If Jacques was even just a millionaire, she could probably run away and be fine. Jacques, unfortunately, had so much money at his disposal that the sway he held over the police and courts was infinite. He was on the way to being a billionaire. How could a sixteen year old child possible fight against that?

Even if she didn't stay with a friend, she still would be within his grasp. On the streets? Police are constantly patrolling there, she wouldn't stand a chance.

His influence gave him limitless power in Idaho, but even in nearby states, he would hold an immense degree of status. For example, even if she went to Los Angeles, the nearest place that would likely have several people with more money than him, he would still have enough money to find her wherever she went.

She felt trapped everywhere she could possibly go. Even if she ran to a different country, there would be an entire laundry list of problems she would face. Not only were all of the surrounding countries just as vile towards transgender people, but she had no clue how to make it on her own. Jacques had never taught her how to survive _without_ money. She had never cooked a meal in her life, she didn't know how to drive, she didn't have any skills that translated to anything outside of working in an office.

She just wanted control.

Control over something, anything.

* * *

Weiss was lucky enough to get two hours and fifteen minutes of sleep Wednesday night. Unfortunately, that didn't make her feel exactly any better. She forced herself out of bed, forcing her way through the disorientation that had become a regular occurrence. She just needed to force her way through to breakfast. That would help take a little bit of the pain away.

She grabbed today's change of clothes, bracing herself for what was to come. Today was election day at the school. The last votes had been cast, and of course, May had been suspended for all of it. Today would be her first day back, and Weiss was also preparing to hear just how upset May was about everything that had happened.

When the day ended, Weiss knew that either Cardin or Marrow would win. Either Marrow would win, and Weiss would find herself not only in the spotlight once more, but also buried under even more responsibility, or Cardin would emerge as the victor, and everyone Weiss cared about in that school would be treated continually worse due to his status.

Neither option was one that Weiss loved. Ideally, Marrow would win, but Weiss saw it as the lesser of two evils. She didn't want anything to do with the student government, or anyone involved in it. Not to mention, she really wanted May to be the VP when all of this was over.

She stepped into the bathroom, trying to shower quickly.

She winced when the hot water hit her thighs, trying not to think about the stinging that screamed out from all of the fresh scars she had made, twelve hours earlier.

Her legs trembled, and it was all she could do to stay standing upright. Normally showers helped her wake up in a positive way, but this rapid increase in pain more accurately made her disorientation worse.

She leaned against the wall of the shower, letting out a pained, unsteady breath.

Then, she gritted her teeth and forced herself to fight through it. She couldn't afford to be late, especially today.

Fifteen minutes later, she had gelled her hair back to hide its length, as with the prior several days. She was dressed, and now just needed to shave, as she had been sinking in dysphoria due to the stubble that had grown.

It was all going well until a harsh knocking at the door made her flinch, and her cheek stung as she slipped.

“Yes?” Weiss asked, recovering from the small cut on her cheek. Hopefully it wouldn't be too noticeable.

“Are you almost done?” Whitley asked, annoyed.

“I'll be out in a few minutes,” Weiss snapped.

“Hurry up, I need to shower,” Whitley said. “You better not have used up all the hot water again.”

Weiss finished shaving, feeling her dysphoria worsen at the small cut on her cheek. All she had wanted was to have a smooth face, for even just a day, and Whitley couldn't wait two more minutes.

* * *

Blake watched in silent concern as Weiss sat down, her head buzzing.

Weiss could tell she was trying to think of something comforting to say, but she could hardly blame her for being at a loss for words.

“I'm so sorry,” Blake said, after several seconds. “I can't believe someone would treat their own daughter this way.”

“If it makes any more sense, he sees me as a son,” Weiss muttered, squeezing her eyes shut to try to block out any and all light that threatened to make her migraine worse.

“First, that doesn't make it any more justified,” Blake said. “And it's also wrong that he sees it that way.”

“I've never brought it up again since he first found out,” Weiss sighed. “I... I think back to that day... and I can't stop thinking about it.”

“Weiss,” Blake said, concerned. “Do you think it's possible you have PTSD?”

“Honestly, it's possible,” Weiss said. “But there's nothing I can exactly do about it.”

“You need to get away from him,” Blake said.

“I'd love to,” Weiss said. “I mean it, I would give anything to get far, far away from him.”

“I know he's powerful,” Blake said. “But there has to be some way.”

“Unless he agrees to let me go, it's not going to happen,” Weiss said. “Winter got away, but that's because he gave up on her. He hates her, he's always talking about how much of a disappointment she is.”

“Do you think he might eventually do that with you?” Blake asked, her tone making it clear that she didn't know if that would be a bad thing or not.

“I don't know,” Weiss said. “I want him to, to be honest. I want him to just let me go, but he already gave up on Winter by this point, so he's clearly more attached to the idea of me being his heir. Maybe if I'm more of an annoyance to him, he'll decide I'm not worth it, but I'll have to endure a lot of abuse before that, and he still might not even decide that. For all I know, maybe he'll get _too_ violent, and I won't even live to see him give up on me,” Weiss sighed.

 _Maybe that would be for the best_ , a small voice in Weiss' head thought.

“Hey, I'm not gonna let that happen,” Blake said. “I know things are bad, but I care, Yang cares, we're not gonna just abandon you to face Jacques alone.”

“I don't know how to believe that,” Weiss said. “I'm sorry, you've been an amazing friend, and I hope everything works out, but it feels like everything decent I ever get in my life is painfully temporary.”

“Well, I look forward to proving that wrong,” Blake said.

Weiss felt a little bit of the mountain of darkness over her lighten.

“You really are an amazing friend,” Weiss said, with the closest expression to a smile she could muster.

She squeezed her eyes shut again as another wave of pain and nausea crept over her. It was like her head was in a vice grip, getting tighter and tighter, threatening to crush her.

She just wanted to close her eyes and _sleep_. She was so exhausted, even standing felt impossible.

And, on cue, the bus came around the corner, a cruel reminder that the world around her didn't care about what she was going through, it wouldn't stop for her.

She opened her eyes, wincing at the light that flooded her vision. It got a little less intense as the bus came to a stop in front of her, and then she heard the bombardment of sound in her ears when the doors of the bus hissed. Her skull rang, giving her the impression someone was beating a club against the inside of her head.

She stood up as elegantly as she could muster, trying not to throw herself onto the sidewalk. Blake helped Weiss onto the bus, and they sat in the first available seat.

“Hey, are you okay?” Nora asked, from the seat across from them. Weiss shook her head, her head ringing from the booming voices echoing through the bus.

“I haven't been sleeping well,” Weiss said, wishing she could explain why.

“Hmm,” Nora said, turning to Neon. “Do you think we can spare one?”

“Absolutely,” Neon said. “Hey, Warren?”

Weiss looked up, confused.

“Strawberry, cherry, or blueberry?” Neon asked.

“Um... blueberry, I guess?” Weiss said. Neon nodded, pulling a tall black can out of her backpack.

“I'd like to introduce you to one of my closest friends,” Nora said. “ _Bang_.”

“E-excuse me?” Weiss stammered.

“Bang,” Neon confirmed. “It's one of the most potent energy drinks out there.”

“It'll help you wake up,” Nora said.

Weiss accepted the can, looking at it in confusion, and concern.

“When you say potent,” Weiss began.

“Three hundred milligrams,” Neon said. “For context, five hour energy only has two hundred. The average twelve ounce Mountain Dew only has about fifty, and the average coffee has about a hundred milligrams.”

“So, you're saying, this is like a five hour energy, _with a cup of coffee to wash it down_?” Weiss asked.

“Yup!” Nora said. “Caffeine is a gift from above.”

“That seems incredibly unhealthy,” Blake said.

As Blake spoke, Weiss opened the can and took a gulp of the absurdly caffeinated beverage, immediately feeling as if lightning replaced the blood in her veins. Her exhaustion began to evaporate, and it was as if a portion of her sanity was returned to her.

“That's... interesting,” Weiss said.

“Isn't it?” Nora agreed.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I really needed that.”

“Of course!” Neon said. “I'm happy to throw you one every now and then if you need.”

“I'd appreciate that so much,” Weiss said.

“So, Neon tells me Henry's been extra awful lately,” Nora said.

“Ugh,” Weiss said. “I can't believe I ever considered him a friend. He's a disgusting snake.”

“Well, if it's any consolation, I think you've definitely traded up,” Neon grinned. “I just hate that the Malachites have been calling _you_ transphobic because of him.”

“What do you think it would take to get them to stop butting into everyone else's business?” Blake asked.

“Nothing I'm able to part with,” Weiss lamented. “I just... wish I could start over here. Go back to when we were in Sophomore year, and just never associate with Henry, or the twins, or any of that. I could be _me_ instead, I-” Weiss said, realizing what she had almost just blurted out in the middle of her caffeine high. “I could fix countless mistakes.”

“Unfortunately, you can't,” Jaune said, from the seat behind her. He had leaned out into the alley lane of the bus, and Weiss was already facing that way to talk to Neon and Nora. “But for what it's worth, you're doing a pretty decent job at fixing it now.”

Weiss blinked, surprised.

“Wait... you mean that?” Weiss asked.

“Yeah,” Jaune said. “I usually put my guard up, because I've seen a lot of people really take advantage of trust. I think I was wrong about you, though.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “And again, I'm really sorry, about everything I said to you. I never wanted to do any of it, and if I could go back, I would have supported you the whole time.”

“Then... why did you act like you did?” Jaune asked. “You seemed really opinionated for someone that didn't mean it.”

“If I'm being honest, I was scared. My father wants me to be like him. Cold, ruthless, _strong_. It was never who I wanted to be, but I was worried that if I stopped acting like him, he would be furious,” Weiss said. “But I never wanted to be transphobic. I... I hated everything I said to you, the whole time I just wanted to back off, but it felt like if I did, somehow he would know.”

“Well, you're doing a lot better,” Jaune said. “And for the record, I forgive you.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said, still unable to believe any of that had actually happened. Surely she was hallucinating, right?

“Here's hoping we made enough of a difference that Marrow can win,” Blake said.

Weiss nodded.

“If it helps, I know a lot of people supported him that were gonna vote for Robyn before,” Nora said. “It's a hell of a campaign boost if half of the candidates drop out and publicly endorse you.”

“Robyn should have been able to keep running,” Weiss said. “But maybe the silver lining will be more votes for Marrow.”

“Hell of a silver lining,” Jaune said. “I mean, I'm all for Robyn, but at this point, as long as it's not Cardin, I'll take whatever we get.”

“Well, we'll find out this morning,” Nora said. “You'll be finding out first, won't you?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “As Marrow's Vice President, I'll be there for the filming of the announcements. To keep the information from leaking, we're actually supposed to stay there for announcements, then head down to our first period classes once that's over.”

“Well, good luck,” Blake said, as the bus arrived at the school. Weiss smiled.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “Hopefully we won't need it.”

* * *

Weiss took a seat next to Marrow. Cardin and Sky were on the other end of the table, and to say there was hostile tension between both sides was an understatement.

Neon was relaxed in her swivel chair, finishing off her Bang energy drink, while Oscar sat next to her, talking to Neptune.

Velvet was still setting up the teleprompter, while Qrow sat by at the desk, waiting by the phone.

Weiss couldn't help but notice Cardin looked alarmingly calm, and smug.

If she was being honest, she was deeply unsettled by his confidence. The attitude he held, while he talked to Sky, it was as if he had already won.

Then, the phone rang.

Qrow picked it up, and the class went silent, as the teachers' assistants from the office told him the results of the election.

* * *

Yang's first period class was Mr. Polendina's robotics class, which was probably the closest she had to an enjoyable academic class. Due to the students participating in either the election or morning news having to stay in the film classroom until the announcements being aired, her class was alarmingly empty. Neptune, Velvet, Cardin, and Neon were all usually there in the mornings, but it was a skeleton class, so to speak, today. Vine was already in the process of drawing one of his projects in a 3d modeling system, and Dove was waiting for the announcements to start, so he could cheer on Cardin. A few other students sat at their desks, bored.

And then, they began.

“Good morning, Taylor High School!” Neon said, on the television screen. “I'm Neon Katt.”

“And I'm Oscar Pine,” Oscar said. “And as we get ready to leave September behind, and move into everyone's favorite spooky time of year, we have a few important announcements. First of all, today we have a few birthdays. Everyone make sure to wish a happy birthday to Fiona Thyme, Mercury Black, Lena Oxten, and Max Caulfield.”

As he spoke, each of the mentioned students' pictures appeared on the display.

“Since we're about to get into October, I'd also like to let everyone know that, as usual, we will be having a Halloween dance!” Neon said. “For any suggestions regarding the dance, please talk to Coco Adel, Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, or Yatsuhashi Daichi, as they make up the wonderful party-planning committee. They put so much work into these events, and I know they'll make this year's party a blast!”

“Now, before we talk about the weather and temperature, you've all been waiting very patiently for us to announce the winner of this year's student government election,” Oscar said. “So, without further ado, I would like to tell you all that Cardin Winchester won this year's election, with an overwhelming seventy-nine percent of the vote.”

Yang sighed, annoyed.

“Yeah! My boy Cardin!” Dove cheered, in that obnoxious stereotypical jock voice.

“I'm sure you're all eager to hear from our new student president,” Neon said. Yang could see how hard the poor girl was trying not to let her feelings about the matter impact her tone. “So, we'll be turning the camera over to him so he can say a few words.”

“Thanks, Neon,” Cardin said, as the camera cut to him. “What's up, everyone! I'm super excited to bring you all an awesome year, and what better way to start it off than with a celebration? A week from now, the party-planning committee will be hosting an election party, and all proceeds from the entry fee will go towards raising money for new sports equipment. As promised, I'll be matching every dollar personally, so I hope to see everyone there. I wanna give a thanks to everyone that voted for me, y'all are the best. I'll see everyone around, let's all have an amazing year!”

“Bullshit,” Yang muttered. She rolled her eyes as the announcements continued, turning her attention to her projects.

* * *

As upset as Weiss was, her first priority when the break between second and third period started was to get food, as she had spent her whole morning in the film room.

She hurried down to the cafeteria, almost running straight into May when she entered the room.

“Sorry!” Weiss gasped, stopping herself, as they both got into line. “I'm so sorry, are you alright?”

“Yeah,” May sighed.

“I'm really sorry about what happened a few days ago,” Weiss said. “You did the right thing, and you shouldn't have been punished for that.”

“Yeah, well, that's how schools like to run things,” May said. “Sorry Marrow lost.”

“Me too,” Weiss said. “I meant it when I said I wanted to stop Cardin, no matter what it took.”

May nodded.

“Look,” May said. “I want to believe you, I really do. I keep getting yanked back and forth on whether or not you seem trustworthy, and every time it finally looks like you're being genuine, you do something that disproves it.”

“I know,” Weiss said. “What can I do to make this up to you?”

“You can do better,” May said. “I don't like being cynical, and for the record, I never doubted your identity. I'll always believe you on that. What I doubt is your intentions. You said you wanted nothing to do with the elections, with student politics, with your father. So what the hell was all of that the other morning?”

“I wanted to stop Cardin,” Weiss said. “When I dropped out, it hadn't occurred to me that Cardin could just try to buy the election like that. I was trying to fix everything with Jaune, Neptune, and Sun, and we all came to the agreement that I needed to make sure Cardin didn't win.”

“Okay, well, that's your first mistake,” May said. “You're still not making your own decisions. You've just let someone else tell you what to do.”

“You think I should have just stayed away from the elections?” Weiss asked.

“I think you shouldn't have just listened to the suggestions of a few people that you felt guilty about and made a bunch of important decisions like that. Yeah, you fucked up in the past. And you're allowed to try to fix that, but for someone so smart, you really seem determined to let someone else think for you,” May said.

“I...” Weiss stammered. “Maybe you're right... I just don't know what I should have done.”

May took a few seconds to think, calming down in the process.

“If I'm being honest, maybe I could cut you a break,” May said. “I know you tried your best, and I respect that. I'm just frustrated at everything that happened.”

“About that,” Weiss said. “I... don't think Cardin won this legitimately.”

“Yeah,” May said. “To be honest, I don't think so, either.”

“For one, he was alarmingly confident before anything was confirmed. Like, he was acting like he had already won,” Weiss said.

“The percentage is absurd, too,” May said. “Only twenty-one percent in favor of Marrow? Cardin's popular, but he's not so popular that four out of every five people voted for him.”

“Who counts the votes?” Weiss asked.

“From what I've seen, it's usually a few teacher's assistants, seniors that basically get extra credit for helping out around the office,” May said.

“If they're students,” Weiss said. “What do you think are the odds Cardin bribed them?”

“They're seniors,” May said. “About to go off on their own, and not about to be around the school enough to really care what happens to it? I'd say the odds are pretty decent.”

“That's what I'm worried about,” Weiss said.

May thought about it another few seconds.

“Okay,” May said. “I'll see if I can have a few friends look into this.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

* * *

The way Schnee Manor seemed to loom over Weiss as she approached it reminded her of how Ruby would talk about games like Dark Souls. It wasn't a physically tall building, not compared to several buildings even nearby, but she knew exactly what waited for her when she stepped in. She had, by all accounts, failed her father, and she knew for a fact he wouldn't be lenient about this.

Every instinct she had screamed at her to run in any other direction. To find Blake or Yang and hide, so Jacques could never find her.

It would be such a perfect idea if he didn't see all, with his influence. Trying to run would be about as pointless as trying to turn invisible on the spot.

Her hand trembled as she opened the door, stepping into the manor.

When she stepped past the doorway, closing the door behind her, she couldn't help but notice Whitley, in the living room. He had his phone in hand, and was scrolling, bored, through social media.

“Hello, brother,” Whitley sighed as Weiss came in. She felt her skin crawl at his choice of words, but refused to let it show.

“I thought someone as dedicated to pleasing father as you would be focusing on your homework,” Weiss said.

“It's all done,” Whitley said. “I got it all done in class.”

“Well, good for you,” Weiss said.

“Tell me, why do you refuse to do the same?” Whitley asked, looking up from his phone.

“In high school, it isn't so simple,” Weiss sighed. “Especially as a junior.”

Whitley cocked his head, as if he was deciding whether or not he believed her.

“It can't be so different,” Whitley said. “Surely it doesn't take hours to make up the difference. I'm just puzzled, you seem determined to making everything far harder on yourself than you need to. Between this and constantly fighting father, surely you're making issues where there don't need to be any.”

“I'm not choosing to fight him,” Weiss snapped.

“What was everything you said about not wanting to be a man, then?” Whitley scoffed. “You have to be dense not to see how he would react.”

Weiss bit her tongue, doing everything she could to avoid lashing out.

“Have you ever considered that maybe not everything I do is about _him_?” Weiss asked.

“That's beside the point,” Whitley said. “I just don't understand.”

“You don't have to,” Weiss spat. “Now, I have other things to do, if you don't mind.”

With that, she turned to approach Jacques' office, dreading the fact that if she waited for him to figure it out himself, the punishment would be even worse.

She knocked thrice on his door, and waited a few seconds.

“Yes?” came the slightly irritated reply.

Weiss opened the door, stepping in.

“Father,” Weiss began. “The elections concluded today, and the victor was announced.”

“And?” Jacques asked, impatiently.

“Cardin Winchester was the victor,” Weiss said. “I strongly suspect he cheated.”

Jacques rolled his eyes.

“Take a seat,” Jacques sighed, his tone harsh and frigid. Weiss closed the door behind her, nervously taking a seat across from Jacques. “I don't know where exactly to begin. Do you need a reminder that the rules of business and politics are hollow, and that only a fool tries to play within them, or shall I just get straight to the obvious point, being that you should have been intelligent enough to back the obviously superior horse?”

Weiss looked down, feeling her anxiety start to take root.

“Did you lose your manners when you lost the election?” Jacques spat. “I'm speaking to you, and you should be looking at me when I do, _boy_.”

Weiss forced herself to make eye contact with him, feeling as if she was about to break under his intimidating glare.

“I...” Weiss stammered.

She couldn't find more words.

She didn't have anything to say.

If she argued, she would be struck down.

If she stayed quiet, he would scold her for that.

Any words she tried to speak froze and died before they left her lips.

“None of that was rhetorical,” Jacques said. “I expect you to answer me.”

“I didn't back Cardin because it was wrong,” Weiss blurted, feeling the pressure to speak get heavier and heavier. She hadn't thought her words through, she had spoken straight from the heart.

“Wrong?” Jacques laughed. “What nonsense are you referring to now?”

“Cardin is irresponsible,” Weiss forced herself to explain. “And cruel, and I wasn't going to support someone that would hurt other students.”

“So you figured it better to support a coward that would rather run off with his tail between his legs?” Jacques scoffed. “Honestly, I don't know why I'm surprised, you're not too different. See, the more I learn about Marrow Amin, the more disappointed I am that my own _son_ decided to support him. This decision should have been obvious. Have I failed as a parent to teach you how to make basic, simple decisions?”

“I...” Weiss stammered.

“I...” Jacques mocked. Weiss could sense his temper rising, and the coy, semi-cold exterior he put up start to fall away. “I thought Winter was disappointing, but at least she has a spine. What went wrong with you?”

“I just wanted to do the right thing, instead of the selfish thing, for once!” Weiss said.

“You need to grow up,” Jacques sneered. “The more you speak, the more obvious it becomes that you don't understand the difference between right and wrong. You'd rather support a degenerate than a man of tradition, and yet you act as if you're a cut above the rest.”

Weiss was angry, but no matter how much her blood boiled, she was to scared to fight for herself.

“Why can't you love me for who I am?” Weiss asked, as she stood.

Jacques' expression was one of pure annoyance.

“Sit back down,” Jacques said. “I'm not done with you.”

Weiss wanted to turn and leave. She wanted to tell him he had no power over her, and storm off, to finally take everything out on the one who was actually causing it, for once.

Instead, she sat down. It felt like she wasn't even in control of herself, like the moment he spoke, she followed his commands.

“You've been responsible for failure and disappointment after failure and disappointment, and I've had enough of it,” Jacques said. “I have a solution, and I think it will help to clear everything up perfectly. First, you're to stop associating with anyone I don't approve. Currently, I approve Henry Marigold, Miltiades and Melanie Malachite, Cardin Winchester, and Winchester's crowd. You're not to speak to any of your new 'friends' unless a class requires it. This includes Marigold's degenerate cousin, do I make myself clear?”

Weiss' heart pounded in her chest, and she felt as if the floor had fallen out from under her.

“B-but-” Weiss began.

“No buts,” Jacques said. “You should be able to grasp the concept of a yes or no question. _Do I make myself clear_?”

Weiss' hands shook violently, a mixture of terror and loathing creeping up her throat.

“I...” Weiss stammered. No matter how livid she was, she couldn't get the words out. “Yes, father.”

“Took you long enough,” Jacques snapped, causing Weiss to flinch slightly. “Now, I have a solution to the rest of the issue. I've thought everything over, and found something that will help us all equally. Schnee Automobile is about to broker a deal with Winchester Legal, and I figure, if our companies are coming closer together, why shouldn't our children, too? So, since Mr. Winchester succeeded where you couldn't, I'll be making a deal with his father. You're to join his cabinet, as his assistant.”

“What?” Weiss asked, appalled.

“Not only will this sweeten the deal from a business standpoint, but it gets you a better student government position than I can apparently trust you to get on your own, and it also helps to clear up this obnoxious issue relating to your social life. This will pull you back into the proper circles,” Jacques said.

That put Weiss past her limit.

“No,” Weiss said. “I _won't_ support him. I will never work as his assistant.”

“Is that so?” Jacques asked, raising an eyebrow. “Very well.”

Weiss blinked. She knew he wouldn't let her go that easily.

“In that case, I'll get on the phone with that boarding school, in Texas,” Jacques said. “I'm sure they'll be happy to take you in.”

“No!” Weiss objected. “You can't force either of these on me.”

“You've been lingering under the impression lately that you can simply do whatever you'd like and have whatever you want,” Jacques sighed. “Unfortunately, that's not how the real world works, and you're overdue to be reminded of that.”

“Actually, father, in the _real world_ , I have the right to choose my friends, and I have the right to distance myself from people I don't want to be around,” Weiss said.

“No,” Jacques argued. “You misunderstand. That's something those beneath us can do. You, specifically, don't have that right. Not now, not five years from now, not ever.”

Weiss tried to find the words to protest, livid at her smug father.

“I will offer you one last chance to choose,” Jacques continued. “You can rethink your priorities and show some responsibility, starting by working under Winchester, or you can go to the boarding school.”

“I...” Weiss stammered. “If you send me to the boarding school, I'll just misbehave until they expel me.”

Jacques scoffed.

“You're that determined to throw away your future?” Jacques sneered.

“No,” Weiss said. “I'm that determined to save my future. You just refuse to understand what I actually want.”

“What you want is irrelevant,” Jacques said. “Open up your eyes. If you get expelled, I'll merely send you to a different one. And if you try to run off, I will have you dragged back where you belong. This isn't a fight you can win.”

Weiss once again wanted to scream, she wanted to storm out, and leave him behind.

“Fine,” Weiss snapped, unable to stomach being in this room with him any longer.

She was halfway across the room when he spoke up once more, his voice livid and venomous.

“I never said you were dismissed,” Jacques said.

Weiss stopped in her tracks, hating that every word he spoke had this much control.

She turned to face him, glaring back.

“For years you've managed to retain proper manners, what changed?” Jacques sneered.

“For years I was quiet, and obedient, and I prioritized your ambitions and goals. I did everything you wanted for sixteen years, and not once have you ever legitimately cared about me,” Weiss snapped. “I'm obeying you now because you're forcing me to, but if you want my respect, then you'll need to earn it.”

Jacques stood from his desk, stepping around it and walking up to Weiss.

“I see,” Jacques said. “You appear to be laboring under the delusion that I need to _earn_ your respect. I'm your father, you wouldn't exist if it wasn't for me, _boy_. I'm your elder, I'm your caretaker, I'm your mentor. I gave you your past, I created your present, and I am the architect of your future. What more could you possibly want from me?”

“You didn't do any of that for me,” Weiss retorted. “My past, my present, my future, it's always been about what you wanted. You're so determined that you shouldn't need to compromise on anything, so if I want something, no matter how small or irrelevant it is, you won't let me have it if you don't personally approve!”

“You're my son. It's well within my right to withhold things you need not have, especially if it's in your best interests.”

“What about what you want for me is in my best interests?” Weiss scoffed. “I don't want to be in charge of Schnee Auto, but maybe I'd be willing to compromise and work towards that if you cared about anything else that's important to me. My friends, they're incredibly important to me. I was never happy with Henry or the twins, but I've found friends that actually care about me, friends that want me to be happy, and you want me to distance myself from them because they're not rich.”

“My daughter already exhausted any leniency I have on the matter,” Jacques said. “If you're upset that I won't allow a child of mine to associate with peasants and... degenerate freaks, like the Amitola girl, then take that out on Winter, not me.”

“Ilia cared about Winter far more than you ever did-”

Weiss' enraged words came to a halt as Jacques' backhand collided with Weiss' cheek, knocking her off balance.

Her cheek burned, a sensation she was uncomfortably familiar with, and tears stung at her eyes.

“I've done far more for this family than you'll ever realize, _boy_ ,” Jacques said. “You'd do well to remember that. I've grown tired of this pointless argument. You will make up for this failure by assisting Winchester. As for your recent remarks, you'll need to realize that you aren't my equal. You aren't my superior. If you are unable to show me respect in your current state, I'll amend that with more work, and I think now's a good time to start. I will not, however, be allowing you to fraternize with those below us, nor will I allow you to parade around your school in a dress and makeup. Unlike you, my priorities aren't centered around doing everything possible to embarrass this family. Do I make myself clear?”

Weiss had a flame inside her, urging her to fight, but it was perhaps for the best that her fear prevented her fury from flaring into another outburst.

As livid as she was, she couldn't muster the courage to fight, not after he'd hit her again.

“Yes, father,” Weiss said, her voice shaky and quiet.

“Perhaps there are still some manners in there, after all,” Jacques said.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, according to my fiancee (who is my editor/proofreader) I'm really good at writing abuse. (Hey, like they always say, write what you know.)  
> So much of how I write Weiss is based on my own experience, and I think that's why Weiss is such a central character in this story. In the previous version, Ruby and Yang were significantly more minor characters, and Blake narrated on occasion, but about 95 percent of the story was from Weiss' perspective.   
> Like, Weiss is literally just me as a teenager, if I had grown up rich and if I wasn't ace. Aside from that, just about everything about Weiss comes from my own experience.   
> The first time I wrote this story, I did such a good job assigning Weiss in my mind as trans that I can't see her as cis anymore because of it, tbh.   
> Anyway, that was chapter 19, I hope you enjoyed the chapter as well as my incoherent ramblings in the end notes. I'm working on chapter 20, but it may be a day or two before it's ready.   
> I appreciate you all being patient as I wrestle with writer's block.


	20. October

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss quickly learns just how much she despises assisting Cardin. Penny comes to Ruby with a secret, hopeful that Ruby will still be her friend afterwards. Nurse Grey gets an update on the Schnee case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for deadnaming, misgendering, transphobia, bullying, Cardin Winchester being Cardin Winchester, homophobia, discussion related to gay and nonbinary erasure, threatening, gaslighting, stalking, spyware, child abuse (neglect, verbal, physical), mentions of domestic abuse, mentions of potential blackmail, and Adam Taurus being Adam Taurus.
> 
> Also, enjoy a bunch of easter egg characters because I needed background characters for some of these scenes, so quick shoutout to fans of Red Vs Blue, She-Ra (2018), Supergirl, and The Owl House, y'all will probably enjoy some of the characters that are sprinkled in here.

Regardless of Jacques' ruling, and regardless of how afraid she was that he'd find out, Weiss had no intention of cutting off her friendship with Ruby, Blake, Yang, and May. They had been the only light in the dark, aside from Winter, and she would fight tooth and nail if she had to, to hang onto them.

She just had to keep Cardin happy enough that he wouldn't complain. As long as she did that, Jacques wouldn't know she was half-assing his orders.

“Good morning, Warren!” Neon said, as she took a seat across from them on the bus. Neon was already pulling this morning's Bang Energy out, much to Weiss' relief.

“Morning, Neon,” Weiss mumbled, wishing that for once her father would at least let her get four hours of sleep. He had, unfortunately, kept true to his word and added work to her queue, resulting in her only getting fifty-three minutes of sleep, a record low for her.

She wasted no time cracking open the can and taking a rather brave gulp, feeling the caffeine inside jolt through her once more.

“What's wrong?” Nora asked. “I mean, you kinda always look down, but today you look... worse.”

“I didn't sleep well,” Weiss sighed. “And my father is forcing my hand on something I really don't want to do.”

“What's he doing?” Neon asked. Blake shook her head, already knowing what Weiss was going to say, as she'd been brought up to speed.

“Cardin's dad is joining my father's legal team,” Weiss sighed. “So he wants our companies to make nice, so to speak. Unfortunately, this means he wants me to be Cardin's assistant, since I lost the election.”

“He... can't actually force you to do that... right?” Nora asked.

“No, he can't,” Weiss said. “But he can give me the option of that or being sent off to a boarding school in one of the only states I despise more than this one.”

“It's in Texas,” Blake explained.

“Does he do things like this a lot?” Neptune asked, from the seat in front of her.

“My whole life,” Weiss sighed.

“Damn,” Neptune said. “I guess it kinda makes sense you were such a prick.”

“Neptune,” Blake said, annoyed.

“That came across harsher than I meant it,” Neptune said. “I just mean-”

“It's okay,” Weiss said, cutting him off. “You're right. I've always lashed out at others, because I wanted to be able to lash out at him but couldn't. It's no excuse, but he's a big part of why.”

“So you're really gonna be his assistant?” Sun asked.

“Unless he gives me a better option,” Weiss sighed.

“Hey, maybe this is a silver lining,” Neptune suggested. “You can be as rude to him as you want, and if he tells you to go away, you don't have to help him anymore.”

“That would have been a great idea, if it wasn't for the fact that if he complains to his father, he will complain to my father, and I'll be punished,” Weiss said. “That was my initial thought, too.”

“Geez,” Neptune said. “Look, I'm not saying I'm gonna judge you for this, but you were wanting to fix past mistakes... you realize this will look really bad, right?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “I'm aware. I hope that if I do enough to make up for it, I can still fix everything.”

* * *

Over the next few days, as October began, the leaves on the trees began to turn an amber shade. Autumn was Weiss' second favorite season, aside from winter, obviously. Around the school, low-budget halloween decorations went up, such as paper skull, bat, and jack-o-lantern images getting pasted on doors.

“You call this a decoration?” Cardin rolled his eyes, peeling a Frankenstein sticker off of a window. Coco folded her arms, and Weiss could sense her frustration. Unlike Weiss, Coco was by no means obligated to be nice. Weiss eagerly waited to live vicariously through her, and wasn't disappointed as Coco spoke up.

“Last year's were a lot better, weren't they?” Coco asked.

“Yeah, they were,” Cardin said. “So what happened? Did you all forget what holiday it was? Or were you and Scarlatina too busy scissoring to do your job as planning committee?”

“Well, for one, you shouldn't be talking about sex,” Coco snidely remarked. “Unless there's another Winchester here that's apparently Taylor High's most disappointing lay. Putting that aside, though, what happened was funding. Last year, we had Tadashi as our president, and he organized bake sales to raise funds, which got us about eight hundred bucks for planning decorations and the dance. You, on the other hand, haven't raised a single dollar for us. What's the matter, Cardin? Did you forget your promise to the voters?”

“I promised to increase funding to sports,” Cardin corrected. Coco raised an eyebrow.

“Maybe you're having trouble remembering,” Coco began. Cardin cut her off.

“Nope. I was very specific. I promised to increase funding to sports and gym, everything else was up in the air,” Cardin said.

Coco stopped to consider his words, thinking back to his speeches.

“Schnee, back me up here,” Cardin grinned.

Weiss grimaced, making it clear with her expression that she wasn't willingly helping him.

“He's technically correct,” Weiss said, pulling up the transcription of his speech on her phone.

“Well,” Coco rolled her eyes. “That doesn't change anything. We need funding to put up good decorations. What we have now was paid for out of pocket by Yatsu and I. You want better decorations? Do your damn job.”

Weiss knew she didn't have much, as she hadn't made a real allowance in a while. She still had some money left over from before, however, so she took out her wallet, and pulled out a hundred of her hundred fifty remaining dollars.

She handed the five twenty dollar bills to Coco.

“It's no bake sale,” Weiss said. “But if it helps you get started, I'm happy to help.”

“Thanks,” Coco said. “With this, we can set up a few fundraising projects and still have some left over to start off the halloween fund.”

“See?” Cardin said. “My cabinet has already been plenty supportive.”

Coco glared at him, unconvinced.

“The only member of your cabinet that's actually helped is the one that clearly wants nothing to do with it,” Coco said. “I'm going to get a bake sale set up. If you want this funding to go anywhere, use your pull to advertise the sale. Won't cost you a dollar. Aside from that, leave my committee _alone_.”

Cardin rolled his eyes, turning to continue down the hall.

“Come on, Schnee, we've got more to check up on,” Cardin said, as he walked off.

“I'm sorry,” Weiss said.

“Don't worry about it,” Coco said. “I mean it, Warren, thanks.”

Weiss nodded before hurrying off to Cardin's side.

Not too far off, Marrow and Robyn were already in the student government classroom, tidying things up before today's meeting.

“Oh, would you look at that,” Cardin laughed. “See, I had one council reject with me, here's the other two.”

Robyn sighed, readying her and Penny's seats as Pride Club representatives. Marrow was clearly doing his best to ignore Cardin entirely.

“Don't look so glum,” Cardin sneered, taking a seat in the presidential spot. “You three never thought you'd actually win, right?”

“No, that was our mistake,” Robyn spat. “We were all honest. Even Warren. Your ability to cheat the election is unmatched.”

“Really?” Cardin scoffed. “Can't accept that you lost so you have to accuse me of cheating?”

“We took a poll,” Marrow said. “Sixty-eight percent of students said they supported me the day elections were announced.”

“Weird they didn't vote that way, then,” Cardin said.

“Yeah,” Robyn said. “ _Weird_.”

“If I'm being honest,” May said, taking a seat next to Robyn. “This whole thing feels remarkably familiar. All you're missing is the shitty orange tan.”

“Funny you mention that,” Cardin chuckled. “Because that was another scenario when the losers couldn't take it and accused the winner of cheating.”

Penny, who had been putting her books down to the side of the room, turned to take a seat at Robyn's other side.

“Is this the kind of behavior we can expect from you? Because, if I am being honest, my seventh grade student president was far more professional,” Penny remarked.

Weiss' jaw hit the floor, not expecting _Penny Polendina_ of all people to confront Cardin.

“Yeah, and the cheerleaders in my fourth grade team were more coordinated, what's your point?” Cardin snapped.

Penny winced.

“Maybe it's just a matter of parts, though,” Cardin began. “After all, cheerleading is a girl's sport.”

Before anyone could react, the door opened, and most of the student government entered.

Marrow and May were glaring at Cardin, more livid than Weiss had ever seen them before.

Penny had looked down, and was clearly fighting off tears.

Weiss' heart panged in sympathy, knowing full well how much that had to have hurt. She knew exactly what Penny was feeling, she had felt it before.

Weiss stood, walking up to Penny, who was being comforted by Robyn.

“I'm sorry,” Weiss said, out of Cardin's earshot. “That wasn't okay, and for the record, I know nothing about sports and even I've heard you're the most amazing girl on the team.”

Penny looked up, surprised.

“Do you really mean that?” Penny asked.

“Absolutely,” Weiss smiled. “Cardin's just angry because you were right, and he didn't know how to argue against that, so he made it personal.”

“It's the only tactic he knows,” Robyn nodded.

“Thank you,” Penny said, wiping her eyes. “Both of you.”

“Of course,” Weiss said.

“Hey, Warren, meeting's about to start,” Cardin said. “Unless you're busy, in which case we can wait.”

Weiss' eye twitched, before she turned to return to her spot.

“Now, unless Warren wants to start another election just to throw it away for the third time in a row, let's begin,” Cardin said, leaning back.

Principal Ozpin sat towards the back of the classroom, next to Vice Principal and Coach Glynda Goodwitch. Perhaps Weiss was looking too much into it, but neither Principal Ozpin nor Vice Principal Goodwitch seemed pleased with Cardin's behavior.

Several tables spanned the length of the room making up the various student comittees that formed the student government.

Henry Marigold represented the Health and Safety Comittee. Coco and Fox represented the Party Planning Comittee.

The next table over, Robyn Hill, Penny Polendina, and May Marigold represented Pride.

The third table consisted of Pyrrha Nikos and Vine Zeki, representing women's and men's basketball, respectively, and then Dove Bronzewing for football, and Dew Gayl for tennis.

At table four, Flynt Coal represented Band, Octavia Ember represented Orchestra, and Cinder Fall represented choir.

Marrow Amin represented Chess Club at table five, and next to him Neopolitan sat, as the representative for Accessibility. Melanie Malachite represented Finance Comittee.

At the final table, Nora Valkyrie represented the Taylor High Spirit Comittee, Oscar Pine represented Public Relations, and Emerald Sustrai represented Theater.

At the large table in the front of the room, Cardin sat in the center. Sky Lark sat at his right, as the Vice President. Weiss, on the other hand, sat on his left as the speaker. Elm Ederne sat, bored, next to Sky, as Cardin's Secretary. Next to Elm was the Student Council Faculty Advisor, who, much to Cardin's disappointment, was none other than Ms. Rumpole herself.

Past Weiss were a few class representatives, none of which she was too familiar with.

“My apologies for the delay before,” Weiss said, raising her voice for the room to hear. “Welcome to today's SGA meeting. I won't bore you all with idle talk. Without further ado, President Winchester has the floor.”

“So, there's a few things I wanted to address today,” Cardin said, leaning forward. “The first is funding. I promised I'd increase funding, and that's my first priority. I've already organized a thousand dollar check for the gym to get new equipment, as well as eight hundred dollars each for the basketball, football, and wresting teams. I'd like to organize further fundraising, so if anyone wants to set up any plans for that, I'll hear them now.”

Vine raised his hand.

“Men's basketball,” Cardin said, nodding in his direction.

“To raise money for the basketball teams, and ideally for all of our sports teams, could we arrange a pie sale?” Vine suggested.

“That's a great idea,” Cardin nodded. “I'm all for it. I'll arrange it, and as promised, I'll match every dollar raised.”

Robyn raised her hand.

“The address was to the athletics teams,” Cardin clarified.

Robyn lowered her hand, annoyed.

“Yeah, Cardin,” Dove said.

“Football, go ahead,” Cardin said.

“What do you think about getting a car wash set up to raise football funding?” Dove suggested.

“I like it,” Cardin said. “I'll arrange it if you can get the football and cheerleading teams onboard.”

“What?” Penny scoffed.

Cardin ignored her.

“Anyone else? Women's basketball, you've been quiet,” Cardin said.

“The donation to our basketball team will be plenty sufficient for now,” Pyrrha said. “Any further funds would be better donated to other causes like an environmentalism fund or Pride club.”

“Alright,” Cardin sighed. “Non athletic comittees, I'll hear your questions now.”

Emerald, Robyn, Cinder, and Coco all raised their hands.

“Alright,” Cardin said, clearly annoyed. “I'll start with Choir.”

“I'm pretty sure Band and Orchestra would back me up here, but our bleachers in the auditorium are in awful condition, they haven't been replaced since Bill Clinton was in his first term,” Cinder said.

“Alright,” Cardin said. “Well, if you wanna set up a fundraiser, I'll see what I can do.”

“Um,” Cinder said. “This is a safety issue, not just an efficiency issue. If you can donate thousands to get out sports teams set up, shouldn't this be a priority?”

“Seconded,” Flynt said.

“Yeah, it's been bad,” Octavia agreed.

“And it's far from the only safety oversight,” Henry said.

Weiss didn't know if she was glad to see Henry butting heads with Cardin again or if it just annoyed her more.

“Alright,” Cardin said. “I'll see about getting a donation drive set up, and I'll put fifty dollars to getting it started up.”

“That's it?” Cinder seethed.

“If it's a safety issue, surely parents will be eager to donate,” Cardin said. “I'll hear from Theater now.”

Cinder looked absolutely livid, not that she had the opportunity to say more.

“Yeah, you talked about getting us better props,” Emerald said. “When can we expect them?”

“When you raise enough funds for them,” Cardin said. Emerald folded her arms. “Hey, I meant what I said. I'm happy to approve fundraising projects, and even donate to help get them off the ground if they're important enough, but if I just come along and pay for everything, all that does is make everyone dependent on me.”

“Okay, well, we're about to get started on production of our next play,” Emerald said. “Could we set up a bake sale for it?”

“Sure,” Cardin said. “Party Planning Comittee is about to run a bake sale, from what I've heard. You help them out, you can split the funds it makes. I'll make sure to buy from it, too.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. She had known this would be exactly how he would prioritize everything.

“Speaking of, I'll hear from Party Planning Comittee now,” Cardin said.

“Okay,” Coco said, standing. “We need permission to run the bake sale out of the school cafeteria, two tables set aside specifically for that, and apparently I need to include this, which appalls me, but neither we nor Theater are going to get anywhere near enough if we're _splitting the funds_. Not unless we have a donation like what the sports teams got.”

“I know you're pretty used to having things just handed to you, but not everything is going to be like that overpriced purse of yours,” Cardin remarked. “Sometimes, you'll have to work for things in life. I'll get the space cleared in the cafeteria, and arrange permission for the sale. And, like I said, I'm willing to support your cause as a customer, but the rest of your funds will have to come from your skill in cooking. Hopefully the Party Planning Committee is as dessert-savvy as your names imply.”

Coco sat down, and Weiss could feel her anger threatening to burn the room down.

“Alright, uh, Pride club, make it quick, we've gotta move on,” Cardin said.

“Pride club has been running practically budget-free since it was founded,” Robyn said. “We'd like to be able to supply students with things they actually need, with resources that can help. As it is, we can't even print from the library without paying out of pocket. We need some kind of funding. We've compiled a list of ways to potentially raise money for it-”

“Yeah, I hear you, but what do you even need funding for?” Cardin asked. “All you guys do there is sit around and talk.”

“Some things we'd like to do if we had the funding,” Robyn sighed. “For one, put up flyers around the school. People all over the school still don't even know the club exists. We'd also like to be able to help transgender students get access to better fitting gym clothes, get gender-neutral bathrooms and changing rooms established, and modify sex education classes to include queer people in their curriculum. All of these things need money.”

“And none of them are important,” Cardin laughed. “I mean, let's go down that list. How many students here are gay? Percentage wise.”

“Well, there are about thirty-five hundred students here,” Robyn said. “Of that amount, so far our Pride club has twenty members in total, because students that may belong there don't know it exists. That's the closest thing I can give you to a percentage of students that are gay, because we _don't know_. Most of them don't feel safe enough to come out because we're not taking measures like the ones I listed.”

“Yeah, see, we make our decisions based on facts. Bring me a poll, or a study, or something, that can accurately give me a decent percentage of students that need this, and I'll approve your fundraisers. Until then, I'm not going to distract from our Sports, Theater, Safety, and Party Planning Comittees for the needs of... what percentage even is that? Schnee?”

Weiss grimaced, loathing herself for having to _help_ him right now.

“Twenty out of three thousand five hundred is approximately point fifty-seven percent,” Weiss sighed.

“So just over half of one percent?” Cardin asked.

“Yes, given the number of students that are out of the closet and actively participating,” Weiss said. “The percentage of LGBT students here could likely be significantly higher-”

“Hang on,” Cardin said. “And now let's talk about these bathrooms and locker rooms. How many students in this school are... what do you call it?”

“Nonbinary,” Weiss interjected.

“Yeah, that,” Cardin said.

Robyn sighed.

“As of right now there are two non-binary students in Pride club. Any others are still in the closet,” Robyn said.

“Schnee,” Cardin said. “Gimme that percentage.”

“Point zero six percent,” Weiss said.

“Yeah, that's less than a thousandth of our student body,” Cardin said. “You wanna run construction projects which will probably cost hundreds of thousands... for two students?”

“I'd like to prioritize the mental health of students that are constantly bullied,” Robyn retorted. “And seeing as the donation you promised during your apology speech was a donation by check that mysteriously declined, we're still without enough funding for even the smallest of the topics I mentioned.”

“Listen, I know this is important to you,” Cardin said. “But these committees are for prioritizing student needs. Pride club is here more as a courtesy than anything else. I've heard enough, we're moving on.”

* * *

Ruby watched, fascinated, as Penny performed dangerous stunt after dangerous stunt. She'd seen talented gymnasts plenty of times before, but this was something new.

“She's real talented, isn't she?” Yang asked.

“Yeah, she is,” Ruby said.

Neopolitan, Carmine, Nebula, Octavia, Dew, Gwen, and Fiona made up the rest of the cheerleading team from their grade. Ruby was vaguely familiar with a few other cheerleaders, like Victoria Chase and Adora Grey, who were both seniors, as well as Boscha Hexside and Alex Danvers from sophomore year.

Unfortunately, most of the cheer team was about as rude and elitist as Ruby had expected. Victoria, Nebula, and Boscha were known for a sadistic level of bullying, and Dew, Gwen, and Carmine weren't far behind. Neopolitan and Fiona were pretty kind, and Adora had helped Ruby find her way around the school her first day, giving Ruby some relief as she realized that even senior students can be just as much of clumsy disasters as her sometimes. Octavia and Alex were pretty neutral in most cases.

Either way, Ruby could tell not everyone on the cheer team was kind to Penny, but she couldn't place why. Penny always seemed to shrink away around any of the cheerleaders that formed Victoria's clique, as if she was just trying not to be seen when they were there.

Ruby had heard snippets of conversation, but never made out what was actually going on.

The other day, Nebula had been saying something that included “shouldn't even be allowed to join”, and Carmine had apparently tried to get Glynda to remove Penny from the team twice now.

“Hey, Yang,” Ruby said, as she watched Penny perform maneuvers that Ruby was pretty sure would have put her in the hospital if she attempted them. Luckily, Penny was far more graceful and flexible. “How long have you known Penny?”

“Only about a year, she went to Solitas Junior High,” Yang said.

“What's everyone's problem with her?” Ruby asked. Yang scratched her head, surprised.

“Uh... I've heard rumors, but to be honest, I don't know,” Yang said. “Whether they're true or not, though, it doesn't justify how people treat her.”

“I haven't heard any rumors,” Ruby said, cocking her head.

“Yeah, well, you generally keep to the quieter cliques that don't participate in any of that,” Yang said. “Honestly, that's a good call, too. It's all just a bunch of drama and gossip.”

“No wonder Weiss wanted out of all of it,” Ruby said.

“Yeah,” Yang said. “Gossip is bad enough, but the Malachite twins? Ugh, imagine unironically being around them for fun.”

“I just don't get it,” Ruby said. “Yeah, Penny's a bit awkward, but she's a great person, and I hate how everyone treats her.”

“Yeah,” Yang said. “According to Weiss, Cardin came after her right before student council today. Really hurt her feelings.”

Ruby's heart ached at the thought of Penny being bullied, especially by Cardin.

“I think Penny needs to spend some more time with us,” Ruby said. “She needs real friends.”

“Hey, I'm down,” Yang said. “Hey, looks like they're wrapping up. I'm gonna go grab my shit from my locker, meet you out front, okay?”

“Yeah,” Ruby said.

She waited as they funnelled back into the locker rooms.

Several minutes passed, then Ruby heard something that put her on edge.

She heard raised voices coming from the locker room.

Then, Penny hurried out of the room, Carmine right on her heels.

“Get a different team, freak!” Carmine shouted. Ruby stood, hurrying down to comfort Penny. Behind her, she heard Adora step out of the locker room.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Adora snapped, glaring at Carmine.

“I'm just saying what we've all been thinking.”

Ruby left the argument behind, following Penny as she stepped out of the school. Penny stopped next to a dumpster, both of her arms wrapped around herself, clutching her sides.

Ruby felt her heart tear in two as she heard Penny crying, trying to regain her composure.

“Penny,” Ruby said, hurrying to her side.

“Ruby,” Penny said, giving a slight nod. “You... should not be here. I appreciate you watching my practice, but you can go home now.”

“Hey,” Ruby said, shaking her head. “There's clearly something wrong. I wanna help. What's going on, Penny?”

Penny eyed Ruby carefully, as if considering taking a calculated risk.

“I... I don't...” Penny stammered.

“Penny, what is going on? You can tell me, you're my best friend,” Ruby said.

“Do you promise?” Penny asked.

“I do,” Ruby said.

“I...” Penny stuttered, wiping tears off of her face. “Ruby... I... I'm not a real girl.”

“What?” Ruby asked, confused.

Penny took a deep breath, trying to calm down from her panic attack.

“Most girls are born female...” Penny said. “I... I was born male. I never fit in, as a child, and when I was nine, I figured out I was transgender. When I was twelve, I started taking puberty blockers, and when I was fifteen, I began taking estrogen. Out of all of the students like me, I may have transitioned earliest. I guess you could say that I was the first openly transgender student out of everyone here,” Penny explained. She seemed partially relieved, like getting a massive weight off of her chest. Then her face fell, as if she was being yanked back to reality. “I'm not real.”

“Of course you are!” Ruby said, taking Penny's shaking hands into her own. “You think just because you were assigned male at birth, you're any less real than me?”

“I don't...” Penny stammered. “You're taking this extraordinarily well.”

“You are a real woman, Penny. I know that for a fact. And if it helps, you're far from the first trans woman I'm friends with. It doesn't change anything about how I see you,” Ruby assured her.

Tears once more ran down Penny's face.

Penny pulled Ruby into a surprisingly strong hug.

“Oh, Ruby, you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for!” Penny exclaimed.

“I appreciate that, but accepting you doesn't make me a good friend,” Ruby said. “ _Everyone_ should accept you, that shouldn't be rare.”

“I...” Penny sighed. “I don't make many friends. Between being transgender and being autistic, most people would rather just stay away from me.”

“Penny, you're my best friend,” Ruby said. “And I would never leave you behind, especially for that.”

“Thank you,” Penny said, clutching onto Ruby as if she would vanish if she let go.

“Always,” Ruby said. “Yang and I are having a Halo night, we'd love to have you with us if you want.”

“I would really enjoy that,” Penny smiled, finally letting go and stepping back.

“And for the record, Carmine doesn't know what she's talking about. I've been talking to Coach Goodwitch. You're the best thing that's happened to the cheer team.”

Penny smiled as she and Ruby walked, leaving the school behind.

“A few of the other cheerleaders support me, but most do not,” Penny said. “Fiona, Adora, and Neo have all been incredibly kind.”

“They're all really nice,” Ruby said. “I'm glad they're here for you, too.”

* * *

Nurse Grey sighed, hunched over her desk in her office.

“Abnormally high amount of paperwork?” Arthur Watts asked, from the doorway.

“It's par for the course,” Grey sighed, setting down the final paper.

“Don't stay too long,” Arthur recommended. “There's a whole world outside.”

“I don't plan on it,” Grey smiled. “How's the husband?”

“Quite possibly even more overworked than you, I'm afraid,” Watts smiled. “Being a college professor isn't an easy career.”

“Well, neither is being a doctor or a therapist,” Grey said. “I guess we're all just drawn to challenge.”

“On the note of romance,” Arthur asked. “You have been looking, right?”

“I...” Grey sighed. “I will.”

“I know the divorce was difficult,” Arthur said.

“It was whatever,” Grey said, trying to keep up her cheery demeanor. “If he was so determined to join the military, then that was clearly what was important to him.”

“Well, I happen to know that whatever man, woman, or otherwise you end up with will certainly be a lucky person,” Watts smiled.

“Thank you,” Grey said. “I'm gonna take your advice. It's time I get out of here.”

“By the way,” Watts said, as he put on his jacket. “Once you do find someone, and our schedules are all clear, David and I would absolutely love to have a double date.”

“That'd be amazing,” Grey said. “See you tomorrow, Arthur.”

Arthur walked away, after returning her farewell, and she began to grab her belongings from around the office. She was about to step out of the room, when she saw a shadow step in front of the doorway.

“Arthur?” Grey asked, turning around.

Rather than Arthur, standing in the doorway were two police officers. The first was tall and skinny, with a pale complexion. He had orange sunglasses, and kind of looked like a rat. The second was slightly shorter, but with the build of a navy seal. His sunglasses were green, and he had a darker complexion. The green-sunglassed man had an x-shaped scar covering a majority of his face.

“Officer Gates, Officer Ortez,” Grey said, startled.

“Doctor,” Officer Gates, the taller officer, replied. “Sorry it took us so long to get back to you.”

“I had honestly started to worry you'd abandoned the Schnee case,” Grey said.

“Like I said before, you can call me Felix,” Officer Gates said.

“And Locus is fine,” Officer Ortez grumbled.

“Right... so, what did you find?” Grey asked.

“Well, doc, that's the thing,” Officer Gates said, his smarmy, cocky voice already getting on her nerves. “We didn't find anything. The kid musta' been faking it.”

“Hang on,” Grey said, after a moment. “I saw a lot of fear on Warren's face, it didn't seem-”

“Listen, Doctor Grey,” Officer Ortez said. “You have a bright future ahead of you.”

“Real prodigy,” Officer Gates said.

“This case is being dropped,” Officer Ortez said. “We'd recommend you drop it as well.”

“Otherwise, well, this bright future would be cut short, which would be just the most unfortunate shame,” Officer Gates said.

“Are you... threatening me?” Grey asked.

“We're making you aware,” Officer Ortez said, his voice determined and intimidating. “We found nothing. And neither did you. This meeting was a warning, not a threat. If we have to meet again, it won't be on good terms.”

“So, yeah, it'd be in everyone's best interests if you just... misplaced these files,” Officer Gates said. “And gave Jacques Schnee and his son some distance.”

They turned to leave.

Grey stood, stunned, as they walked away.

Before he left, Officer Gates turned to see her one last time.

“Hopefully I won't see you next time, doc,” he grinned, before stepping out of the door.

Grey watched the door close, then she looked back to her files, panic racing through her head. She opened a filing cabinet, quickly pulling up the file labeled 'Warren Schnee' and put it in her purse, before leaving her office.

The drive home couldn't have been fast enough, she felt paranoia creeping up on her every second she drove.

The utter horror she felt now, thinking back to Weiss' words... it was like nothing she'd felt before.

“ _Have you been starving yourself?”_

“ _I...” Weiss had said, trembling. “No, not by my own choice.”_

“ _What do you mean by that?” Nurse Grey asked._

“ _I haven't been getting fed,” Weiss said. “My father... withholds food if I disappoint him.”_

“ _I'm... extremely concerned with what you've been saying about your father, Weiss,” Nurse Grey said. “Are you aware that this is likely an abusive environment?”_

“ _Yes, I am,” Weiss said. She seemed to shrink away, terrified of any noise around. “I'm well aware of that.”_

“ _I'm going to have to make the police aware of this,” Nurse Grey said._

“ _What?” Weiss started. “No, you can't!”_

“ _I'm legally required to report abuse, especially if self harm is involved.”_

“ _You don't understand, the police answer to him.”_

“ _I know it feels that way,” Nurse Grey said._

“ _He's got enough money that the police will do whatever he wants, I've seen it happen,” Weiss argued._

“ _No one has that much power,” Grey tried to reassure her._

“ _None of you understand!” Weiss yelled. “He's done it before!”_

“ _I... think she's right,” Blake said. “I've seen police attack protesters because they inconvenienced him. Anyone that's tried to sue him has lost, even if they have a mountain of evidence against him.”_

“ _Listen,” Nurse Grey said. “It's going to be okay, I promise you.”_

She thought back to reality as she pulled into her driveway, hurrying inside. She stepped inside, and immediately felt queasy.

If he owned the cops, just how far would he go?

She nervously looked around the duplex, scanning for anything that looked out of place.

She tried to think back to how she left everything.

Then, her paranoia skyrocketted when something confirmed her suspicions.

When her dog, Freckles, came around the corner, he seemed... scared.

It wasn't often that an adult German Sheppard was this afraid.

“Freckles,” she said, urging him over. She knelt down, scratching behind his ear, her hand shaking.

Then she thought back to her unfortunately limited experience with this. _Chuck, Mission Impossible, 24,_ etc. She went to a photograph she had on her dresser, and turned it over.

Her heart started thumping rapidly in her chest, like a drum in an alternative rock song.

A small, black circle, about the size of a toy magnet, was attached to it.

She peeled it off, eyes wide.

Without hesitation, she threw it onto the ground and stomped on it, breaking it into pieces.

Then, she searched _everything_.

Lights. Pictures. Shelves. She looked everywhere she could think of, and found seven other bugs, smashing them all in the process. She checked her computer for new software, and really didn't trust the listing currently there.

Luckily for her, she wasn't just anyone, she was Doctor Grey, she was the one that had an absurd degree of proficient hobbies and skills because she got bored far too easily.

So coding, software, computers?

It was like a second language to her.

By the time she finished clearing her computer of the spyware that had been installed, it was ten at night, but she did it.

At some point she had used nail polish to cover the webcam built into her monitor, and done the same for her smartphone's camera on a hunch.

Then, she did the same for any other devices, making sure that nothing had been installed, physically or in software.

She was terrified, yes.

But that didn't mean she was going to give up on that poor girl.

She became a doctor not just because it was a complex intellectual skill, but also because she wanted to protect people.

Who the hell would she be if she let Weiss keep suffering at Jacques Schnee's hands?

She scanned the file, creating fifteen copies. She put one copy in her purse, another between her mattresses. She taped a third to the back of her TV, et cetra. She was going to hide two in her car (one in the glovebox, the other on the underside of the back seat), and hide another very carefully in her desk at work.

Then, she grabbed the original file, and returned down to her car, stopping in her tracks for a moment.

She had left it unattended.

She followed her instincts, still several meters away from the vehicle.

She took her keys out, and unlocked the doors.

Much to her relief, the car simply chirped, and the door clicked as it unlocked.

She breathed a sigh of relief and got in, driving down to an abandoned part of town. She walked up to a garbage bin, taking out the original file, and a cigarette lighter.

Taking a nervous breath, she lit the file, letting it begin to burn, before she dropped it into the dumpster.

If she needed any other proof that her paranoia was justified, when she turned around, she saw something that made her nearly pass out.

Across from her car, a familiar police car sat on the side of the road.

Officer Gates smiled at her as she slowly walked back to her car.

“Good choice, doc,” Officer Gates said, before starting his cruiser and driving off.

* * *

“I just wanted to thank you for yesterday, again,” Penny said, as Weiss took a seat.

Weiss gave a smile, energized by this morning's gift from Neon and Nora.

“Of course,” Weiss said. “Consider it the first of several apologies, to make up for how I've treated you for years.”

“Right, you also went to Solitas with her, didn't you?” Ruby asked.

“That I did,” Weiss sighed. “It's nothing I'm proud of, but it's the truth.”

“You know, you should play D&D with us,” Yang said, opening a Pepsi.

“I can't say I know anything about that game,” Weiss sighed.

“Also, Flynt said after me, he's not taking new players,” Blake said. “Otherwise, I'd love to have... him play with us.”

Weiss felt guilt well in her, she had never wanted to bring Blake stress. Especially just for being accepting.

“Well, I may run a campaign after he's done, if you would like to join that one,” Penny offered.

“Like I said, I'm not really familiar with the game,” Weiss said, uncomfortably. The truth is, she would love to play, but her father would probably more likely let her join an esports team than spend her free time on what he would see as a glorified board game.

“We'd love to teach you,” Yang offered optimistically.

“I also just don't think I have the free time for it,” Weiss said.

“That's okay,” Blake said.

Weiss breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that at least Blake was willing to drop it.

“So,” Weiss said. “Anyone got any exciting plans for the month?”

“Oh, you know it!” Ruby grinned. “It's my birth month, which means parties, and I was fortunate enough to have my birthday be _on_ Halloween!”

“Wouldn't that be a bad thing?” Blake asked. “You basically have to share your birthday?”

“Nope!” Ruby grinned. “When I turned thirteen, I started having parties instead of trick-or-treating. Halloween birthday parties are the best. It's like a Halloween party, but I get to be the main focus, and there are activities based around my favorite things.”

“You know there's nothing wrong with trick-or-treating at your age, right?” Blake asked.

“Of course,” Ruby said. “It's dumb that people think teenagers can't trick-or-treat, but that's not the point. For one, I'd rather not deal with confrontation like that on my birthday, but on top of that, I love parties.”

“Well, I'm excited for this year's party,” Blake said.

“And by the way, you're all invited,” Ruby said.

“I'd love to be there,” Weiss said, uncomfortably. “If my father lets me.”

“Yang told me how strict he was,” Ruby said. “I'd love to have you there, but if you can't, I won't be angry. We'll just really miss you.”

Weiss smiled, feeling her heart grow warmer.

“Well, as for my plans, wrestling is gonna start happening more,” Yang said. “Which I'm looking forward to. I've been so goddamn stressed lately, and it's always a great outlet.”

“Right, that reminds me, I've gotta start getting ready for track,” Ruby said. “Harriet's been telling me time after time there's no way I can beat her, and I know I'm gonna prove her wrong.”

“I know you'll both do amazing,” Blake said. “It's actually a competitive season for me, as well.”

“Oh?” Yang asked, raising her eyebrows. “Do tell.”

“My favorite bookstore started a book club a few months back, which I've been attending. They periodically have poetry or writing contests, but they're having a big one this month. They're asking people to write a short novel, about whatever they want, and they'll be hosting a contest. First place winner will receive a first edition, mint copy of _The Silmarillion_ , which... that's huge.”

“The similar what?” Yang asked.

“ _The Silmarillion_ ,” Ruby corrected. “It was written by the same guy that wrote _Lord of the Rings_.”

“Oh!” Yang said. “That's really cool!”

“I'm hopeful,” Blake smiled. “Second place gets a hundred dollars in cash and a fifty dollar gift certificate to the store, and third place gets an autographed copy of Rick Riordan's _Lightning Thief_ , and everyone's novels will be compiled into a book, which every participant will get a free copy of once it's done.”

“That's awesome!” Yang said. “If anyone can win this, it's you.”

“I appreciate that, but I'm far from the most experienced writer there,” Blake said.

“Experience isn't everything,” Weiss said. “It's important, but with writing, it's also important to love what you're doing, for it to come from the heart. I know because I've had writing assignments in school. They get good grades because they hit all of the assigned requirements, but it doesn't take a genius to see that they were bland.”

“Oh, you don't know they were bland,” Yang said. “I bet they were great.”

“I wrote a ten page short story in seventh grade...” Weiss began, cringing at the memory. “The topic we were supposed to write was exploration.”

“And?” Ruby asked.

“I remember this one,” Penny said. “Your story was about deep sea expedition.”

“Well, that doesn't sound so bad,” Blake said. “There are amazing stories about that.”

“The story was ten pages of me explaining deep sea expedition rules and techniques, through the main character, a man named Duncan, who had no personality,” Weiss said.

“We're all harsher on our own writing,” Blake said.

“Seven students fell asleep while I read it out,” Weiss said. “And when I brought it to the teacher, he gave me a hundred percent because it technically met all the requirements but he also specifically told me it lacked personality.”

“Oof,” Yang said. “Yeah, that's... uh...”

“It's okay, you're far from the only one who had a weird experience with that,” Ruby said. “Last year, I got my playstation 4 with the prize money from a competition I won... by not following the rules.”

“What?” Blake asked.

“I feel like that's exaggerated,” Weiss said.

“Nope, she's actually telling the truth,” Yang said. “Tell 'em, Rubes.”

“So we were in our speech class... ugh,” Ruby said. “There's a reason I'm a techie.”

“A techie?” Weiss asked.

“Techie is a slang term,” Penny explained. “It refers to the background crew of a play, as opposed to the acting crew.”

“I hate being in the spotlight,” Ruby said. “I get stage fright. So anyway, in ninth grade speech, our end of course test for first semester was to give a speech on communication and its importance. I didn't want to do it, but I was told I'd fail the class if I didn't, because it accounted for about forty percent of our final grade, and that was one of the classes I was struggling in, so... I was freaking out about the speech for days, trying to figure out what I was going to say. We were going to have to read our speeches to the entire school district, or at least, that's what the teacher said. Now, it was a contest. Third place got twenty five, and it doubled with each rank up. Second got fifty, first got a hundred.”

“So what did you do?” Penny asked, intrigued.

“Yang was watching Supernatural while I was trying to figure it out, and there's an episode with Felicia Day,” Ruby said.

Blake blushed when Felicia Day was mentioned, but Weiss was the only one who noticed.

“The episode was about LARPing,” Ruby said. “Basically, it's like D&D, mixed with a renaissance fair. You bring prop weapons and armor, and enact fantasy battles as opposed to at a table.”

“That sounds really fun,” Blake said.

“Oh, it is,” Ruby said. “Yang and I tried it once, and I'd love to do it again.”

“So how does this tie into your speech?” Weiss asked.

“Um... so I decided to just write my speech about making foam swords, and kinda just technically tied in communication to like... the importance of communicating with the customer, buying the prop,” Ruby said. “It was a stretch at best, and for sure I thought I'd fail.”

“Wait, don't tell me,” Blake said.

“The district board thought it was so outside the box and original, they put it in the number one spot,” Ruby said. “I won a hundred bucks, because I didn't follow the rules.”

“She was shocked to hear she won,” Yang said. “Dad got a call from the school, and when he told Ruby, she was speechless.”

“That's... absurd,” Weiss said, dumbfounded.

“That is incredibly amusing,” Penny laughed.

“Anyway, that's how I got my playstation,” Ruby laughed, as the bell rang.

“Hey, Schnee,” a voice said from behind Weiss. Weiss' heart sank. She wanted nothing more than to keep spending time with her friends, but she knew she had little choice. “Presidential duties call, and that means I need my stooge.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, standing.

“I'd like to get breakfast first,” Weiss said.

“Just get, like, a granola bar from the vending machine or something,” Cardin said. “I don't have time to wait just because you didn't eat before school.”

Weiss' stomach ached, she was desperate for real food, but she knew better than to argue with Cardin Winchester.

* * *

Blake stretched as she stood from the bus, eager to get home to relax and get started on her short story. She wished Weiss could get the same, she could see the poor girl's lack of enthusiasm as they stepped onto the bus stop.

“Hey, good luck with your book,” Weiss said. “I know you'll do amazing.”

“Thanks,” Blake said, as they started walking. They had discovered prior that about half of their walk was spent together, which gave them much more time to talk. “Listen, Weiss... if you ever wanna come over, you know you can, right? Just give me a heads up? You don't have to spend all of your free time at that awful place.”

“I...” Weiss stammered. “I wish-”

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything,” a deeper voice said from behind them.

Blake's blood ran cold.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood, and she immediately got the urge to run, as far as she could.

She and Weiss both turned.

“I just want to talk,” Adam Taurus said. The tall boy was wearing a red and white hoodie, he had his glasses on, as usual. Blake took a step back as he stepped forward.

“I don't want to talk to you,” Blake said, struggling to keep her voice louder than a whisper.

Her heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to burst past her ribs, and out of her chest. It was physically painful.

“I just wanted to know what was really going on. I know you and Sun Wukong aren't dating,” Adam said.

“That's not any of your business,” Blake said.

“Blake,” Adam began.

“It doesn't sound to me like she wants to speak to you,” Weiss said, stepping forward.

“Don't interrupt me,” Adam growled. “This is between me and her, and I'll be damned if a _Schnee_ of all people tries to tell me what to do again.”

“Adam,” Blake said, trying to push her anger past her fear.

“I don't know what's going on with you,” Adam said. “Lying about Sun, and now, this? You're actually friends... with Warren Schnee? I know we didn't leave things on amazing terms, but are you this determined to spite me?”

“This has nothing to do with you!” Blake retorted, stepping forward slightly. It wasn't much, but it was all she could muster.

“Oh, really?” Adam said. “Because from what I've heard, you weren't friends with him until we talked a few weeks ago.”

“You're not the center of my world or my decisions,” Blake said. “Leave me alone.”

“Are you really that immature?” Adam asked. “All I want is to talk about this.”

“You have the right to ask to talk,” Blake said, as bravely as she could. “And I have the right to say _no_. Leave, Adam.”

“Fine,” Adam spat. “Have fun with... what did you call him? Weiss?”

Blake saw Weiss' eyes widen in shock as Adam turned and walked away.

Neither of them said a word as the tall figure faded into the distance.

Blake took a seat at the bench, shaking.

“Who was that?” Weiss asked, clearly also scared, but holding her composure together for Blake's benefit.

“That was Adam,” Blake said. “My ex.”

“Blake, are you okay?” Weiss asked, sitting next to Blake.

“Yeah,” Blake lied.

“You don't have to lie,” Weiss said. “You've helped me so much over the past few weeks, and I'm happy to do the same for you.”

Blake took in a long, shaky breath, and then let it go.

“We weren't a great couple,” Blake said. “He was selfish, and hurtful, and breaking up with him was really hard.”

“Blake...” Weiss asked, quietly. “Did... he hurt you?”

Blake's mind swam with memories, as she struggled to understand properly exactly what happened.

Unable to speak it aloud, she nodded.

“I'm sorry,” Blake said. “If I'd known he was there, I wouldn't have said your name. I'm so sorry.”

“No, no,” Weiss said, offering her hand. Blake took it, squeezing it for safety. “Blake, that's not your fault, and I'm not upset. I'll admit I'm worried about what he'll do with that knowledge, but it's not your fault. I promise.”

Blake nodded.

“Is your father going to be okay with you being this late?” Blake asked, nervously.

“Probably not,” Weiss said. “But right now, I don't really care. I'm not about to leave you alone out here, not after what just happened. Can I walk you home?”

“I'd really appreciate that,” Blake said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fun fact, Ruby's story this chapter about how she got her PS4, uh...  
> That's actually a true story. In ninth grade, that, almost word for word, was how I won the money I used to buy my xbox 360, and it's quite possibly the most absurd thing that's ever happened to me.   
> (Also I think it got mentioned a few times so just a reminder for anyone unfamiliar with Boise, Idaho's education system, kindergarten through sixth grade is elementary here, seventh through ninth grade is junior high, and sophomore year through to senior year is high school (tenth grade through twelfth grade, for anyone that either is unfamiliar with those terms due to region or if anyone else here, like me, dropped out before high school).  
> I'm loving everyone's comments, especially those wishing violence on Jacques.   
> I'm kinda hoping in RWBY canon, Jacques kicks the bucket tbh.   
> Anyway, thanks for reading chapter 20!


	21. Seasons of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow's theater production starts to lift off the ground. Weiss and Whitley reach a partial truce, at least for the moment. Yang finds a new lead in the search for her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for mentions of domestic abuse, alcoholism, child abuse, manipulation and gaslighting, bullying, Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism (TERF), starvation and exhaustion, discussion related to abandonment, kidnapping, and murder, mentions of the AIDS epidemic, and Adam Taurus being Adam Taurus

“I really appreciate this,” Blake said.

Weiss nodded, giving what she hoped was a warm and comforting smile.

“I'm sorry this happened,” Weiss said. “He really seems unstable.”

Blake looked down, uncomfortably.

“Yeah,” Blake said. “He is.”

They stood in front of Blake's door for a few seconds.

Weiss tried to figure out exactly what to say to help her, but couldn't find the words.

“You can come in if you want,” Blake offered. “We have plenty of decent food, and I'd be happy to hang out for a while.”

“I...” Weiss said, her voice dying in her throat.

She wanted nothing more than to spend time with her best friend. The urge to accept Blake's offer was so overwhelmingly strong.

It was either spend time with Blake, in a welcoming environment, or return to Schnee Manor and get yelled at for being late.

And, at the same time, Weiss knew that if she was _hours_ late instead of _twenty minutes_ late, the punishment would be so much worse.

“I really wish I could,” Weiss said. “But I don't think I can.”

Blake nodded, understanding.

“Okay,” Blake said. “Be safe, okay?”

“I will,” Weiss nodded. “I think Yang's free today, if you wanted to have her come over to keep you company.”

“I think I'll do that,” Blake said. “Thanks for not making me walk home alone.”

“Any time,” Weiss said.

Blake opened the door, giving Weiss a goodbye wave.

Weiss could tell the poor girl was terrified. Blake might have been hesitant to call Adam abusive, but Weiss knew the look on Blake's face far too well.

It was similar to the look that was always on her own... but she had seen that _exact_ look before.

That was the look Willow Schnee wore when she was sober.

* * *

“You're late,” Jacques said, from the living room. Weiss closed the door behind her.

“The bus had a delay,” Weiss lied. “I got home as quickly as possible.”

Jacques skeptically eyed her, as if looking for evidence that she was lying.

“Over the past week, I've been talking to a few officers,” Jacques said. “Apparently the nurse from your school submitted a report.”

Weiss froze.

“Apparently, you tried to accuse me of hurting you,” Jacques said. “Fortunately, the nurse didn't believe you, her report made it clear that you were making it up. Let me make something clear.”

Weiss felt confusion sink in. Nurse Grey had been supportive, back there. Had she been lying? Did she think Weiss was making it up?

If she was willing to throw Weiss to the wolves for that, did she also report that Weiss was trans?

“You're not to bring anyone outside of this family into it,” Jacques said. “Our business is our own, and just because you're determined to make my life as difficult as possible doesn't give you the right to invite strangers into how I act as your father, is that understood?”

“Yes, father,” Weiss said.

“And if you do tell someone, and they do happen to believe whatever nonsense you've fabricated, it will end very unfortunately for them. Am I understood?” Jacques asked.

Weiss' legs felt like jelly.

“Yes, father,” Weiss repeated.

“Good. Now get to work,” Jacques said. “After how late you were getting home, I expect your chores to be done flawlessly, and quickly.”

* * *

“Alright, I know you all are super excited for more improv,” Qrow said, a hint of sarcasm to his voice. “But we've got something else to work on, today. I told everyone recently we'd be doing _Rent_ for our first play of the year, and it's time we get started on it.”

“Ooh!” Neon said. “Director Branwen?”

“Like I've told everyone a million times, Branwen is weird, and way too formal. Qrow works fine,” Qrow sighed. “And yes, Neon?”

“Are we doing auditions today?” Neon asked.

“That we are,” Qrow said. “Today's gonna be our first day of auditions. We've got three days' total.”

“Dibs on Angel!” Neon exclaimed, giving the rest of the room a glare that seemed to say 'challenge me on this, _I dare you_.'

“No one has dibs on anyone,” Qrow said. “Last week, we watched _Rent_ , and our homework was to watch both the broadway and hollywood releases and familiarize yourself with the plot if you aren't already. So I expect everyone to be at least somewhat familiar with the characters. I'm gonna pass around these papers, on them I want everyone to sign next to the parts you're interested in. Everyone can pick up to five parts to audition for, and I expect a minimum of three auditions from each of you. I've had too many plays where everyone just wants to play one single character, and then everyone that doesn't get the part is left without a role.”

“I had one question,” Luz Noceda asked from the front of the classroom. “This is my first high school play, and I just wanted to know if we were going to be doing _everything_ from _Rent_.”

“Obviously you won't be doing any sexual scenes,” Qrow said. “But as you're all aware, _Rent_ is largely about the AIDS epidemic, and I'm not going to censor or sugarcoat that. For those of you that are sophomores, I know you're used to junior high plays. High school plays can get a lot darker.”

“Honestly, it's kinda a relief,” Flynt said. “I've gotten sick of schools refusing to teach our history.”

“That's exactly why I picked _Rent_ over having everyone do _Romeo and Juliet_ for the millionth time, and besides, _Romeo and Juliet_ is overrated anyways. If most schools are willing to have their plays end in a double suicide, I think you're all mature enough to handle this topic. There are a few jokes about sexual topics that will probably be toned down or cut,” Qrow explained. “Now, everyone list out your preferred roles.”

“What about the techies?” Ruby asked.

“I'm glad you asked,” Qrow said. “Techies, you'll be signing up for roles, too. I'll take your prior skillsets into account.”

Neo grinned at Ruby, excited.

“I hope I will be put in lighting,” Penny said.

“I've been on costume for years,” Neopolitan signed.

“Have you ever thought about branching out?” Ruby asked.

“Not really,” Neo signed. “I really enjoy it.”

“Well, I'm gonna be in set design, probably,” Ruby said. “But if I can, I wanna move props, too.”

Ruby was quieted by the bragging from a table over.

“I've been the lead female role for years, I've got this practically guaranteed,” Miltia said, smugly.

“Really?” Flynt rolled his eyes. “You're going for Maureen?”

“Of course,” Miltia bragged. “In ninth grade I was the best Juliet my school has ever seen. In seventh grade, I played Penny in our production of _Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog_ , as mediocre as it was. I played Cinderella in our eighth grade play, and last year, if you remember, last year for _Addam's Family_ I received praise for my flawless portrayal of Morticia.”

“Yeah, sounds like you're great at playing straight, usually rich chicks,” Ilia said. “There's a surprise.”

“And why do you care?” Miltia scoffed.

“Because I'm also auditioning for Maureen, and quite frankly if anyone should play her, it should be someone queer,” Ilia said.

“It's just a role,” Miltia said. “Who cares?”

“Literally everyone except for you,” Emerald said. “You've had everything just handed to you for years, let someone else play a lead role for once. _Rent_ isn't about people like you.”

“The main character is a straight man,” Miltia argued.

“Of course you see Mark as the main character,” Flynt scoffed.

“Who are you to complain anyways?” Miltia asked, still talking to Emerald. “You're straight, too.”

“No, I'm not,” Emerald said. “Don't make assumptions about me just because you know nothing about me.”

Miltia rolled her eyes.

“The only reason any of you are so adamant about this is because you know I'm a better actress, and I'll get the role,” Miltia said.

“We'll see when we audition,” Ilia snapped.

* * *

Ruby was only a few feet behind Harriet, the rest of their sixth grade P. E. class left in the dirt. Reese was the next closest, but she was easily fifteen meters behind.

It was the mile run, despite the fact that most students just walked.

Ruby and Harriet had been growing more and more competitive for weeks, and at this point they were determined to get any victory on one another, even if it wasn't during track itself.

Harriet only had about a two foot lead on Ruby, and that gap was getting smaller and smaller as Ruby pushed herself to the extreme.

“Face it, Rose!” Harriet laughed. “I'm just faster in every way. Try again in two years!”

Ruby wasn't about to get herself short on breath by taunting back, she ignored the burning in her lungs, the feeling of lava inside her legs, knowing she was running low on time to pass her.

“You've got this, Ruby!” Penny called from across the track.

Ruby smiled, knowing if anyone had her back, it'd be Penny.

She pushed forward, not wanting to let her best friend down.

She was right next to Harriet as they neared the finish line, and Ruby pushed forward with everything she could muster.

Unfortunately, Harriet did the same.

For all of their bickering, and all of their training, they crossed at the exact same moment.

“Impressive,” Glynda said, as they both slowed to a stop. “No one's completed the mile run this quickly since I was in school.”

“Your track team is in good hands,” Harriet said. “Rose makes a good second pick.”

“I tied with you,” Ruby said, folding her arms.

“Yeah,” Harriet said. “Because you had to push yourself. If I'd pushed myself that same amount, I'd have won.”

“This isn't track,” Glynda said. “And your scores here won't improve your standing there. Please remember that we're all on the same team, you two.”

“Well, yeah, but we still keep track of who the fastest on the team are,” Harriet said.

“Don't get used to being number one,” Ruby said, grinning. “Although, it sucks your spot might get taken by a kid two years younger.”

“You may have been the best in your year,” Harriet said. “But you're not gonna get top spot here, kid. No matter which cheerleader is giving you support.”

“You're just jeaous,” Ruby joked.

“Jealous?” Harriet scoffed as Reese crossed the finish line. “What's there to be jealous of? I'd be embarrassed if he was cheering for me.”

Harriet uncapped her water to take a drink, as Ruby's face fell.

Just like that, the light hearted competitive nature was gone.

Before Ruby had the chance to confront her, Glynda spoke.

“Bree,” Goodwitch scolded. “I've spoken to you about this before. I don't have any tolerance for discrimination in my class.”

“Yeah,” Harriet sighed. “Sure. If I'm being honest, I'd say it's discriminatory that you let boys into girl's sports, but-”

“That's enough,” Goodwitch said.

“If you wanna talk smack to me that's fine, but leave Penny out of it,” Ruby said.

“Whatever,” Harriet sighed, dropping the issue. “I can tell neither of you are gonna hear me out.”

“Of course we're not,” Ruby said.

“I said that's enough,” Glynda said. “Rose, I appreciate you standing up for fellow students, but I have this under control. Bree, if this happens again, we'll be discussing your future on the track and basketball teams.”

Harriet rolled her eyes.

“Yes, coach,” Harriet sighed.

* * *

Weiss stepped out of the bathroom, exhausted. It was about two o' clock in the morning, and despite it being a weekend, there was no rest coming her way. She might be lucky enough to get three hours of sleep, but even that was unlikely. Between the constant and persistent forced office visits (which she was forced to spend in that god awful suit), and the mountain of assignments, she felt like she was running an endless marathon in weighted boots.

“Hello, brother,” Whitley said, startling her.

“What are you still doing up?” Weiss snapped, rubbing her eyes.

“I could ask you the same,” Whitley said.

“I told you, I've had to stay up to finish assignments,” Weiss said. “Which I need to get back to.”

“You seem eager to stop talking to me every time I try,” Whitley complained.

“Well, I've been busy,” Weiss said. “And on top of that, you're condescending and arrogant, so yes, I generally would rather spend my time alone.”

Whitley folded his arms, rolling his eyes.

“With all due respect, you're guilty of the exact same things as I,” Whitley said. “Now, I was going to offer you a favor, but if you'd rather sulk in your room, feel free.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Weiss asked, irritably.

“I've been having trouble sleeping, and Klein offered to take me to one of the twenty-four hour convenience stores nearby to pick up some melatonin. I was going to see if you wanted to come with.”

As he spoke, Klein came around the corner, and walked up.

“My apologies, Master Whitley, I had to attend to a matter in the kitchen,” Klein said.

“It's perfectly fine,” Whitley said.

“I... I would appreciate that,” Weiss said, still unsure of what exactly Whitley's angle here was.

As they walked towards the garage, Klein stopped by the door.

“Master Whitley, would you mind getting the car started? I need to check up on something,” Klein said.

“Sure,” Whitley said, eagerly. He always leapt at any chance to sit in the driver's seat.

Klein waited for Whitley to leave, and then turned to Weiss.

“Miss Schnee,” he asked. “I know you wanted me to keep your name and identity secret around your father.”

“Both parents,” Weiss said.

“Right,” Klein corrected. “Would you like me to do the same around Whitley?”

Weiss considered the possibilities, aware that Whitley may sell her out by mentioning what Klein called her. That would likely end poorly for both her and Klein, so she decided against it.

“Yes, around Whitley, I'm still just Warren,” Weiss sighed.

“Understood,” Klein said, an apologetic look on his face.

They all piled into the limosine, and within a minute, were on their way.

“What's been keeping you up?” Weiss asked, through the awkward silence.

“Just unable to fall asleep,” Whitley said.

Weiss couldn't shake the feeling there was more to it than that, but didn't want to press the issue.

“Insomnia can strike us at the worst of times, I'm afraid,” Klein said. “When I was in medical school, I would often have only an hour or two to sleep per night. I would get the most dreadful insomnia on my days off.”

“How did you stay healthy?” Whitley asked. “That's a dangerously low amount of sleep.”

Weiss glared at Whitley as he spoke, before turning her attention back to Klein.

“I didn't,” Klein answered. “A medical career is one that is rather focused on leaving one's own health behind. That's part of the reason I eventually went for a different job.”

After several more seconds passed, Whitley was the one to try to break the silence.

“So, I heard that you've made friends,” Whitley said.

“I did,” Weiss sighed. “And then I lost them.”

“Why?” Whitley asked. “Are you just determined to sabotage yourself?”

Weiss' eye twitched, and she felt her temper flare.

“It had nothing to do with what I wanted. Father doesn't like me associating with... well, my friends. So I had to stop,” Weiss said.

“And why did you end your friendship with Henry, Melanie, and Miltiades?” Whitley asked.

“Because they weren't people that I liked being around,” Weiss snapped.

Whitley looked down, taking the hint.

The limo pulled to a stop outside the store, and Weiss eagerly got out and hurried inside.

The clerk was an older man, balding, who usually only communicated in grunts.

Weiss gave him a brief 'hello' before she went over to the drinks, grabbing herself a Bang to give her the energy to power through tonight's assignments.

“Master Warren,” Klein said. “As your work often keeps you up, would it be more ideal to grab a few of those?”

“I'm running low, since my allowance was cut off,” Weiss said.

“I'm aware,” Klein said, taking the drink from her hand. “I'm not suggesting you purchase it yourself.”

“Klein, you don't have to-”

“I'm aware of that,” Klein said, leaning in. Quieter this time, he spoke again. “Miss Schnee, please allow me to help you.”

If she was less exhausted, maybe she would have had more of a will to argue.

“Okay,” Weiss said.

“If you need one, you need only summon me,” Klein smiled. “They will be in the employee's lounge, to prevent Jacques from understanding their true purpose.”

“Thank you so much, Klein,” Weiss said.

“Now, let's get you some food, shall we?” Klein said.

“But-” Weiss began.

“I know you're rather fond of blueberry muffins,” Klein said, picking up a box of six. “Will these be a decent start?”

“Klein,” Weiss said. “You don't have to, and on top of that,” she switched to a whisper. “If father sees me with them...”

“He doesn't search your room, and I happen to know he's too busy to keep a constant watch over you,” Klein said.

Weiss sighed.

“Okay,” she said. “Then yes, the muffins will do just fine.”

“Wonderful,” Klein said. He also grabbed a box of crackers, a box of pop tarts, a bag of chips, two bags of jerky, and some sandwich supplies. “I am going to have you keep most of this in your room, but if you'd like a sandwich, please let me know and I can make you one.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said, stunned.

“Now, I'll need to grab Master Whitley's melatonin, before we go,” Klein asked.

“I have it,” Whitley said, as he approached from behind. “And a few snacks, too.”

Before Weiss knew it, she was packing her snacks into her desk drawer.

* * *

“Hey, dad,” Yang sighed, setting down her controller.

“Yeah?” Tai asked.

“I was wondering... I saw a few of the pictures... in the scrapbook,” Yang said. “I was wondering if there were any other pictures of Raven.”

Tai sighed.

“I have a few,” he admitted. “Look... I know you think something happened to her.”

“What makes you say that?” Yang asked.

“Both Coach Goodwitch and Mr. Ironwood said you'd been asking about her,” he said. “I understand you wanna know what happened to her, I can't blame you. I just need you to stay safe, and I need you to keep your priorities straight. You're in your junior year, arguably the most important year of your education.”

“Dad,” Yang said. “I know my education's important, but she's important to me, too. It doesn't add up. She just vanished. You said you tried to find her, but she wasn't anywhere she would likely go. Glynda said she hung out with some dangerous people, and in the pictures in the scrapbook, she seemed legitimately happy to have me. Does that sound like she left, or like something _bad_ happened?”

“I know how it looks to you,” Tai said. “But you don't remember the months leading up to her disappearance. Raven didn't like commitment. She was happy in the picture, yeah. Childbirth and a ton of painkillers tends to put you in an emotional roller coaster. There are plenty of women with happy relationships with their kids, who would never want them gone, who reported feeling intense depression and fear for a few days after childbirth.”

“But-”

“Yang,” Tai said. “The entire time we were getting together, I was constantly worrying she was going to run off. When she did, it hurt, but it wasn't surprising.”

“Do you know, for sure, with one hundred percent certainty, that she ran away and that nothing bad happened?” Yang asked.

“Of course not, no one knows everything for sure,” Taiyang said. “But I'm incredibly sure, as much as I can be. Everything I know aligns with it.”

“And what if you're wrong?” Yang asked. “What if something else happened, what if-”

“Yang, the police investigated,” Tai said. “They found no possible suspects, no one with motive to harm her. I know it's painful, and I'm sorry, but she _left_.”

“But it...” Yang argued. “It doesn't add up. She knew dangerous people, dad. Glynda told me.”

“Yes, she did,” Tai said. “And all of the people that were dangerous, the police looked into.”

“And what if they missed something, what if they missed someone?” Yang asked. “You said it yourself, you _tried_ to find her where she would have ran to.”

“She wasn't incredibly vocal about where she'd want to go,” Tai said. “I went to the most likely places, but there's a lot of places she might have ran to that I'd never even think of.”

“But-”

“Please, just... let this go,” Tai said. “You've known for years, and it never stopped you from living your life. What changed?”

“What changed is that I'm going to be an adult soon!” Yang exclaimed. “And I've never had a mother, not one that was actually mine.”

“Yang, Summer was-”

“An amazing person,” Yang interrupted. “And I miss her, too, and she cared for me, and maybe she was a _mom_ to me, but she wasn't my _mother_.”

“Even if you're right,” Tai said. “And something awful happened, she's _gone_. I don't want her to be, but whether she ran off or if something far worse happened, she's gone. You deserve to have a mother, but unfortunately, she was irresponsible and abandoned you, and you can't throw away your life to try to fix that.”

“She didn't abandon me!” Yang snapped.

Tai gave an exasperated sigh.

“If you wanna see our other pictures, I'll get them,” Tai said. “But please just... think about your priorities. You have an amazing life to live, and I really don't want you to waste it searching for someone who I can promise you isn't worth it.”

Yang rested her forehead on her hands.

Tai stepped into his room, and came back a minute later with a box.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I know you just want to understand, and me yelling isn't going to make you feel any better.”

Tai opened the box. The photo on top was of a teenage Raven, it looked like a school photo. She had eyeliner and eyeshadow so intense she looked like a ghost.

 _And I thought Blake was super goth_ , Yang thought to herself.

“She looks like she fell through a Hot Topic,” Yang said, laughing slightly.

“Oh, yeah. She practically lived there, back when it looked a world different than it does now,” Tai said.

“Did you ever go?” Yang asked.

“She dragged us all there whenever we'd go to the mall. Qrow liked it there, too. Summer and I were always bored.”

He took out the next photo. This one was of Raven and Qrow, on top of a vaguely familiar building.

“This was when they went to Seattle,” Tai said. “This was the space needle. Qrow wanted to see it, she just wanted to stay in the hotel, apparently.”

“Who took all these?” Yang asked.

“Summer took a lot of them, the rest were mostly taken by a friend of ours, Shiro Wan,” Tai said. He flipped to the next photograph.

“This was during an eclipse,” Tai said.

Raven and Tai were in a field, both wearing strange sunglasses Yang knew were eclipse glasses, meant to be able to look at the sun during a solar eclipse without harming one's own vision.

“Which one of you was the astronomy geek that took the time to get those?” Yang asked, pointing to said glasses.

“Believe it or not, we both liked astronomy,” Tai said. “This was arguably our first date. We bickered a lot about whether it counted as a date. Speaking of, the one that was more definitively a first date-” Tai pulled out the next picture, which was of the two of them on a ferris wheel. Raven was eagerly watching the horizon, while Tai looked nauseated and scared. “-the Idaho fair. She loved being in high places, so does Qrow. We used to always joke they were like actual birds, you know, cause the names.”

The next several pictures were from the same fair. There were many where she had convinced him to ride roller coasters, all of which he looked very unhappy on.

“She was merciless. She wanted to ride everything there,” he said. “Qrow spent most of his time in the expo, buying anime merch with Summer.”

“Did you guys never go in the expo?” Yang asked, noting that every picture was outside.

“I've only been in the expo once, and I immediately got pulled into a conversation with a conservative trying to get me to vote against pro-choice laws. After that, I just stick to cotton candy and rides.”

“That sounds like hell,” Yang said.

“He couldn't take the hint that I was pro-choice, and he kept me talking to him for twenty minutes before Summer yanked me away by force,” Tai said.

“Were there any rides you liked?” Yang asked.

“I enjoyed the bumper cars,” Tai said.

“You're such a dad,” Yang said.

The last of the pictures from the fair was of Raven and Tai, leaning against the back of a red jeep.

“Neither of us wanted to head home, so we stayed in the parking lot for, like, an hour when we were done. Summer headed off, and Qrow was forced to find something to do since he and Raven shared a car.”

“Which one of you had the ugly jeep?” Yang laughed.

“That was Raven and Qrow's, but about a year later Qrow got a different car and Raven kept that one,” Tai explained.

“I hope she had the sense to upgrade,” Yang said.

“Nope,” Tai chuckled. “She kept that car as long as I knew her.”

As he spoke, Yang felt as if a light went on over her head.

“I really appreciate this, dad,” Yang said. “Could I... could I keep a few of these?”

“Of course,” Tai said. “To be honest, I probably should have shared them earlier, I just... didn't know how you'd take it.”

Yang grabbed a few pictures, making sure to also take the last one, with the jeep.

* * *

“Alright, I know everyone's been busting their asses with the auditions,” Qrow said, as Ruby took her seat. “I've got a lot of the roles cast. I wanna specify, as theater is both an elective and an open after school activity, some roles went to students that aren't in this class. That being said, here's the current casting.”

As he finished his sentence, he put the cast list on board, which detailed the following:

Mercury Black as Roger Davis

Luz Noceda as Mimi

Coco Adel as Maureen Johnson

Emerald Sustrai as Joanne Jefferson

Neon Katt as Angel Dumott Schunard

Flynt Coal as Tom Collins

Jaune Arc as Mark Cohen

Blake Belladonna as Benjamin Coffin III

Lighting Crew: Penny Polendina, Velvet Scarlatina

Sound Crew: Lie Ren, Lucio Correia dos Santos

Costume Designers: Neopolitan Torchwick, Coco Adel, Emerald Sustrai

Set Design/Setup Crew: Ruby Rose, Fiona Thyme, Jacob Taylor, Miranda Lawson

Prop Movement: Ilia Amitola, Ruby Rose, May Marigold, Reese Chloris

  
  


“I'm still looking for extras, and a lot of the background crew could use more help, so if you didn't get a role here, I've got plenty more for you,” Qrow explained.

“Excuse me?” Miltia asked, standing. “Coco got Maureen? She's not even in this class!”

“She has a core class this period,” Qrow said. “Otherwise, she would be. Either way, she had the best audition.”

“Were you asleep during mine?” Miltia scoffed.

“He probably wishes he was,” Ilia said, eliciting a laugh from Flynt.

“If I'm being honest, you were far from the best pick for the role,” Qrow said. “If Coco didn't get the role, Ilia would have. If you'd like, there's still plenty of auditions for roles as extras.”

“An extra?” Miltia scoffed, offended. “No. I have played a lead role for years. I would rather join the sound design team than be an extra.”

“If that's what you want, I can make that happen,” Qrow said.

Miltia folded her arms, livid.

“This is going to be so exciting!” Neon exclaimed. “Alright, Flynt, we have to practice our songs.”

“You know it,” Flynt nodded.

“I want everyone to come get a script, we're gonna run a practice today after school. I need everyone there as much as possible. Only exceptions are for prior afterschool commitments, like sports or comittees, everyone got it?”

Qrow received a unanimous nod.

“I hope another costume designer gets added,” Neo signed, concerned. “I'm the only one not playing a lead role.”

“I can ask around, see if anyone else might be interested,” Ruby offered.

“I would appreciate that,” Neo signed, with a grateful smile.

“Real quick, any techies here that are unfamiliar with their role?” Qrow asked.

No one raised their hands.

“Alright, let me know if you have any concerns,” Qrow said. “Today's class assignment is going to vary. Everyone with a confirmed acting role, your job will be to go over the script as much as possible, specifically your lines and the cues for them. Techies, I'm going to gather you all in a moment to go over some details. Everyone else can either do improv games or go over the script if there's an extra position you want to audition for.”

* * *

Blake plopped down in Yang's room, on her bed. Yang took a seat at her desk, opening her laptop.

“So, what did you drag me all the way down here for?” Blake asked.

“I think I found a new lead,” Yang said. “I know my mom's liscense plate number and what her car looked like. The car she still had when she went missing. It went missing with her.”

“I see,” Blake said, sitting up. “So, find the car-”

“And I might find her,” Yang said. “I'm just searching public records for now, but maybe I can get ahold of someone that can go through police records.”

“We also may want to pass this to Junior,” Blake said.

“That's not a bad idea,” Yang said. “Even if I don't find anything, he might.”

Blake was pulled away from Yang's words when her phone vibrated.

She pulled it out, and once again felt her blood run cold among seeing the screen.

 _'Hey, it's Adam,'_ the message read. _'Look, I just wanted to talk. I've been really patient, but it's not fair that you're avoiding me. I know I made some mistakes in the past, but I can't make up for them if you don't let me. Despite everything, we were an amazing couple and I'd really like to fix things between us.'_

Blake's throat went dry, and she wanted to throw her phone away and hide from it.

“Hey,” Yang said. “You okay, Blake?”

“D-do you remember me mentioning Adam?” Blake asked, looking up from her phone.

“Your shitty ex, right?” Yang asked. “Yeah, sounds like a real peach.”

“The other day he confronted me and Weiss,” Blake said. “He overheard me use her real name, and he kept saying he wanted to talk.”

“No,” Yang said, eyes wide. “No-no-no-no-no,” she said quickly. “Don't let him back in. Nothing good is gonna come from that.”

“I know,” Blake said. “I told him to leave me alone, and after a while, he did... but he just texted me.”

“Jesus,” Yang said, as Blake passed her the phone. Yang read the message, visibly cringing. “Why won't this dipshit take the hint?”

“I don't know what to do,” Blake said.

“Here's what you do,” Yang said. “You block him. And if you want, I'll text him telling him to stay the fuck away, I have no issue doing that.”

Blake looked down at the phone, nervously. She blocked the number, and sighed.

“I'm worried,” Blake said. “I don't want him to be angry.”

“Blake, listen to me,” Yang said. “I'll be your bodyguard if that's what it takes. And trust me, I can hold my own in a fight. If no one pushes back against him, though, he's going to take it as a sign that he can keep doing this and get away with it. If you don't want me to text him, I won't, but I really think it'd be for the best.”

Blake frowned.

“If he keeps it up, then yeah,” Blake said. “Until then, I just... kinda wanna ignore him.”

Yang nodded.

“Keep me updated, okay? I swear, I'll break his jaw if he keeps trying,” Yang said. Blake smiled.

“My hero,” Blake said.

“Anytime,” Yang chuckled, waving Blake closer. “Scumbags like him need to learn some boundaries.”

A progress bar on Yang's screen came to a stop as she spoke, and she turned to face it again.

“Ugh,” Yang said. “Stupid paywall.”

“How much is it?” Blake asked.

“I don't care, I'm not putting my credit card info on a sketchy site,” Yang said. “I'm gonna try to find a free record search.”

“I'll see if I can find anything, too,” Blake said, opening her phone browser.

“Thanks,” Yang said. “I don't know if I could find her alone.”

“Lucky for you, I grew up on Nancy Drew and Sherlock Holmes,” Blake smiled.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy hell, my updates have been inconsistent and I apologize for that.   
> My computer has been going through the blender. In the past few weeks, it's managed to disconnect its internet function, malfunction half of the time I turn it on, and most recently, it deleted the entire english language from the dictionary, meaning my spellcheck registers every single word as a typo. So I had to fix that by adding every word I could into a custom dictionary.   
> It doesnt help that I'm using a knockoff version of word, and my laptop is as old as I am (not even joking this thing runs on Windows XP).   
> So, i've been having computer issues combined with a lot of writers block.   
> I'm trying to get back into regular updates.   
> On a happier note, I've got another chapter about 80 percent done.   
> So... yeah.  
> Also, I made Rinmaru (RIP Rinmaru) avatars a while back to represent Weiss in various stages of her transition, so if yall wanna see what she's looked like at various points, lemme know and I'll drop them in one of the next chapters.  
> Thanks for reading chapter twenty-one, and I should have twenty-two out relatively soon.


	22. The Wrath of Jacques Schnee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As October progresses, the Schnee family is plunged into drama, with Weiss taking the brunt of it. Blake and Yang continue the hunt for information regarding Raven Branwen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for heavy verbal abuse, being disowned from a family, discussion related to drugs, kidnapping, possible murder, and abandonment, police corruption, neglect, mentions of physical abuse, intense transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, mentions of homophobia, alcoholism, domestic abuse, anxiety and depression, and mentions of racism.
> 
> I've also never had race be brought up as a focal point in my writing before, so I'd like to apologize if it was poorly done. My intentions here are to create an uplifting story, so if there's something I need to do better, let me know in the comments and I promise I will take it to heart.

“Alright, Schnee, since you're practically like an intern for me,” Cardin said with an insufferable smug expression on his face. “Go ahead and grab me a monster energy from the vending machine, with a bag of doritos. I've got a busy morning and I can't afford to run around.”

Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Are you going to send me with money to get them with?” Weiss asked.

“You're basically an assistant, you can't pay for them yourself?” Cardin asked.

“I don't have an allowance anymore, so no, I can't,” Weiss said.

“Didn't stop you from donating a ridiculous amount to the party planning committee,” Cardin said. “Fine, here.”

Cardin handed Weiss a five dollar bill.

“Meet me in the gym with it in two minutes, not a second late,” Cardin said. Weiss rolled her eyes and walked off.

The nearest vending machine was next to the cafeteria, and was currently being used by Robyn Hill.

“Hey,” she said, grabbing a pack of oreos from the machine. “How's your whole 'mornings with Cardin' arrangement?”

“Oh, just wonderful,” Weiss said, her words dripping with sarcasm. “Kill me.”

“I meant to talk to you about that,” Robyn said. “May and I are looking into Cardin's campaign, and we have an idea.”

“Oh?” Weiss asked, as the Monster rolled into the pickup slot.

“We both know he faked that. We even know how, most likely. I'm going to try to get a statement from one of the seniors that counted the votes, and May's trying to get her hands on the votes, which have mysteriously disappeared. We might need the help of someone that's actually in Cardin's cabinet, though. If we can pull this off, the election will be run again, without Cardin. It'd essentially be like rewinding back to election day, but the vote would be me vs. Marrow. Either way, Winchester is gone, and if you're part of a cabinet, you're in Marrow's, not Cardin's. Sounds like a win for just about everyone.”

“Just tell me what I have to do,” Weiss said.

“What we need, if May and I fail, is a confession from Cardin,” Robyn said. “Classic movie trick. Get a recording of him admitting to fixing the election on your phone. Think you can do that?”

“It won't be easy,” Weiss sighed. “But I can try.”

“Thanks,” Robyn said. “Well, I gotta get down to the gym.”

“I'm going there, too,” Weiss said, as they began to walk. “ _My boss_ wants me there.”

“Yeah, he's gonna set up the fundraiser event for the basketball teams,” Robyn sighed.

“I thought only men's basketball was getting a fundraiser,” Weiss said.

“Elm convinced Cardin to change his mind,” Robyn said. “I don't know what we would possibly need more funding for, but if it's an opportunity for him to fund something that's been overfunded for years, you know he'll take it.”

They stepped into the gym, where both teams were assembled.

“Schnee, good god, man, I said two minutes,” Cardin said. “A snail would be faster than you.”

Weiss handed him the snacks and change.

“Here's a crazy idea, how about next time you get it yourself,” May suggested from the women's basketball team.

“Why exactly are we here?” Pyrrha asked.

“Fundraisers,” Cardin said. “Vine suggested selling pies and cakes as a way to raise money, and I'm all for it. We'll be having an assembly for it here tomorrow, but before that, you all will be the first to know everything that's going on.”

“We don't need more money,” Pyrrha said.

“Yeah, there's a dozen better ways to spend all this,” May nodded.

“Like Pride, or Theater,” Nora agreed.

“You're generous,” Cardin said. “But you're wrong. If I get my way, the gym will essentially get a do-over. New basketballs, new uniforms, and a lot more.”

“Ugh,” Robyn sighed.

Cardin turned to Weiss.

“You can go, but I need you at break,” he said.

Weiss nodded, not wasting any opportunity to leave that room far behind.

Speed-walking out of the room, she made it about a foot before Neon, who had been distracted by her phone, slammed into Weiss, causing them both to tumble to the ground.

“Oops!” Neon squeaked, laughing awkwardly. “You okay?”

“Yes, I'm fine,” Weiss sighed, more mentally overwhelmed than physically hurt.

Neon, who had already hopped to her feet, helped Weiss up.

“You sure? You look not okay,” Neon said.

Weiss sighed, unsure of how to explain how she was feeling.

“Neon?” Weiss asked, as they started to walk up the stairs. “Have you ever felt like you have, like, a basket, and that's where everything you're dealing with goes, and whenever new stress happens, it's an object that gets dropped in, and you have to take the time to take it out and find out where to put it?”

“There are a lot of metaphors for stuff like that, yeah,” Neon said. “I prefer spoons, but I like this basket metaphor.”

“Well, how do you usually handle it when people are just dumping things into the basket faster than you can handle them, and any minute it's going to overflow?” Weiss asked, as they walked into the library.

“Hmm,” Neon said. “Well, there's a lot of ways to handle that. I'd recommend doing things you enjoy, to balance it out. When it comes to actually dealing with everything, that depends more on what exactly you're dealing with.”

Weiss stopped.

“Were you also going to the library?” Weiss asked.

“Nope, I was just walking. I'm bored,” Neon admitted. “And I can only sing ' _Today 4 U_ ' so many times before even I get tired of it.”

“Sing _what_?” Weiss asked.

“Oh, it's from _Rent_ ,” Neon said. “But anyways, I'm happy to help.”

Weiss took a seat over in one of the secluded parts of the library, towards the back. Neon sat opposite of her, and started doodling in a notebook while Weiss talked.

“I just... being forced to work with Cardin is so annoying and frustrating and awful,” Weiss said. “I have to be at least somewhat polite to him, and I have to pick up his messes and get him his snacks and drinks, and I have to speak for him, and help him be awful during council meetings, and I just want to tell him I want nothing to do with him.”

“But your dad won't let you, right?” Neon asked, halfway through doodling a mix between a cat and a pop-tart, leaving a rainbow trail behind.

“No, he won't,” Weiss said. “And Henry and Melanie and Miltia are still obnoxious, I mean, you saw Henry mocking May earlier. Father just keeps on layering more and more and more on me, no matter what it does to me. He doesn't let me eat, he hardly lets me sleep, he yells at me for the slightest mistakes, it's infuriating and overwhelming, and I don't know how to keep going like this.”

Weiss stopped to take a breath, not realizing she was on the verge of tears.

“Am I the only one you've talked to about this?” Neon asked.

“No, Blake and Yang are there for me a lot, I've told May, too,” Weiss said. “I just feel like somewhere, there's me, like, the real me, but people like Cardin and my father keep pushing me further and further away from actually acting like me, and I have to work so hard just to be able to be seen as a friend, or as trustworthy, because of who they keep forcing me to be.”

“I know the feeling,” Neon said. “Most trans people struggle with that, too. Everyone keeps us at arm's length. That's why usually trans people are friends with trans people.”

Weiss nodded.

“I just want to be me. I'm tired of hiding, I'm tired of looking li-” Weiss blurted. “I'm just... tired. How did you deal with all of your stress?”

“Well, I've always been the kind of girl to just keep going,” Neon said. “Usually, when I have a problem, if it's something I can comfortably do something about, I do it as quickly as possible. That's why I came out at lightning speed. If I can't really do anything about it, though, I just try to move past it.”

“I mean, it had to be terrifying, though,” Weiss said. “Coming out of the closet as transgender, I mean, you had no way of knowing how anyone would react.”

“Nope,” Neon agreed. “And some people did react pretty unfairly. I was pretty lucky, though. My family was amazing about it. When I came out, mom took me clothes shopping literally the next day, and dad immediately took me to be able to get on hormone blockers.”

“I...” Weiss stammered, forcing herself not to say more. She couldn't help but think back to her father's words when she had blurted the truth to him. She knew if she came out as trans, she would be treated so much worse at the school, assuming her father didn't send her away as punishment. “I'm glad they reacted well.”

“Me too,” Neon sighed. “Not everyone's parents do, though. It's kinda different for everyone. From what I heard, Jaune had it better, like me. May and Mercury, on the other hand, had it pretty rough.”

“I heard about May,” Weiss said.

She wanted to tell Neon. She had almost slipped up so many times in the conversation. When May found out, Weiss felt _safer_. She felt _seen_ by people like her.

Blake, Yang, Ruby, they were wonderful, but Weiss wanted friends that understood how she felt, friends that were just like her.

“Luckily, May had Robyn, Joanna, and Fiona to catch her when she fell. Mercury had Emerald. That's the most important part, if you take a risk like that. Make sure you have people to catch you. I know Flynt would have been there for me if I'd miscalculated.”

Weiss nodded, looking around to ensure that no one would overhear what she was about to say.

“Neon, can you keep a secret?” Weiss asked.

“Better than you'd think,” Neon said.

Weiss took a deep breath.

“I... I hate being Warren,” she said, her voice much quieter than before. “It's not who I am, and I feel trapped. I've known I was trans for years, but there's nothing I can do to transition.”

Neon didn't look even remotely surprised.

“Well, for one,” Neon said. “I knew it. Second, what's holding you back?”

“Everything,” Weiss said. “Henry, Cardin, everyone... I'm scared of what they'll do if I be myself. The biggest obstacle is my father, though, he's... incredibly abusive, and rich enough to get away with it.”

“Does he know?” Neon asked.

Weiss winced.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “The day I told him, he gave me this.”

She pointed to her scar.

Neon's expression changed from her usually carefree demeanor to one of caring and sympathy.

“That's awful,” Neon said.

“I'm stuck,” Weiss said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “He's been subtly punishing me for who I am, and he will never be okay with me transitioning. He's wealthy enough to stop me, even once I turn eighteen. I don't know what to do, Neon.”

“You form a support circle,” Neon said, without hesitation. “You're falling, and you need people to catch you. You've got Blake and Yang, from what I've seen. You also have me.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “But I don't think there's anything any of you can do to stop him. I wish it was as simple as just disobeying him.”

“Could I ask your real name?” Neon asked. Weiss nodded.

“Weiss,” she said. “She/her.”

“See, that's so much better than Warren,” Neon smiled. “Now, listen to me, Weiss. Nothing in this life is ever truly hopeless. You're not the first trans woman with hateful parents, and you're also not the first teenager with wealthy, controlling parents. You'll get through this. I'm not just bringing up support circles because they make you feel better. Hear me out. Who do you have helping you?”

“Blake,” Weiss said. “Yang. May. Ruby. Now you. Also, my sister, Winter. And Klein, the housekeeper at the manor.”

“Okay,” Neon said. “May and I know exactly how hard it is to be a trans woman, May especially probably knows how hard it is to be trans in your circles. This means we can also help you with a lot of other things. I'd be happy to help you figure out makeup and stuff, if you need any transitioning advice, we're both here for you. I know Yang will probably beat up anyone that'd ever want to hurt you. Blake and May are both really politically active, so they may know political resources for you to use. Winter and Klein are family, they can help you while you're at home.”

“I think I understand what you mean,” Weiss said. “I just... really hate being helpless like this. I feel like puberty is making it harder and harder for me to have any hope of passing.”

“Remember that you don't need to pass to be a real woman, Weiss,” Neon said. “Your validity doesn't change based on how you look. You're just as much of a woman today, right now, as you will be when you've completed your transition.”

Weiss already felt safer, she already felt more comfortable.

“Thank you, so much,” Weiss said, as the bell rang. “Can we... talk about this some more, at lunch?”

“Of course,” Neon smiled. “See you there!”

* * *

Yang scurried to Blake's side, setting down a folder. Weiss sat on Blake's other side, groggy and still working on this morning's energy drink. Ruby took a seat across from them, still talking to Penny.

“I found a lead,” Yang said. “It took days of digging, but I got it.”

“Oh?” Blake asked, eagerly. “What did you find?”

“A police record,” Yang said. “Ten years ago, someone was pulled over driving a red jeep with the same liscense plate.”

“Where?” Blake asked.

“Pocatello, Idaho,” Yang said. “Driver was described as a blonde male.”

“What was he pulled over for?” Blake asked.

“Get this,” Yang said. “The taillight was busted and the officer who pulled him over suspected that the vehicle was stolen. A search of the vehicle found a metric shit-ton of weed.”

“Okay,” Blake said. “You may have been right about what happened to her.”

“This guy, the driver, what if he hurt her?” Yang asked. “If he had her car, and he clearly was involved with some stuff on the bad side of the law, maybe he was the one that kidnapped her or something, or at the very least might know what happened. The officer identified him as Bruce Miller.”

“Did they arrest him?” Blake asked.

“I dunno. They let him go that time, apparently they wanted to follow him to whoever he was bringing the weed to, so they could make a bigger arrest,” Yang said. “I never found any record of an arrest like that, though.”

“Can I see?” Blake asked. Yang nodded, handing over the file. She glanced through the files Yang had printed.

“Pocatello, Idaho,” Blake said. “That's a ways away, but if he stuck around in Idaho, maybe she's still here, too?”

“Maybe,” Yang said, nervously. “I looked at other arrests and files connected to the officer, uh, Officer Isaac Gates, but apparently he transferred to the Boise Police Department eight years ago. In the two years following this ticket, there's nothing about a follow-up.”

“Huh,” Blake said. “It's weird for a cop to let someone go like that, especially if they get a dealer, which was probably the case.”

“So what are you saying?” Yang asked.

“I'm saying... maybe he never intended to follow up,” Blake said.

“You think he was bribed to let him go?” Yang asked.

“It makes sense,” Blake said. “I've seen cases like this before. I've seen... people... bribe cops in situations just like that.”

“Damn it,” Yang said. “What if that was the one chance she had to get rescued, and no one saved her because the goddamn cop was dirty?”

“Hey,” Blake said. “We're not giving up, okay?”

“Yeah,” Yang sighed. “I'll keep looking for info on that car, and I'll bring Junior into the loop.”

“So what's going on?” Weiss asked, confused.

“Hey, Schnee,” Cardin called, causing Weiss' eye to twitch in frustration.

“Nevermind,” Weiss sighed, standing up.

“Ugh,” Yang said, as Cardin smugly started to boss Weiss around. “I don't envy her.”

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Weiss got pulled into an irritating repetition of helping Cardin, attending Jacques' work meetings, and driving herself further and further into exhaustion. She now averaged about fifty-five minutes of sleep a night, and it showed. She had a migraine every minute that she was awake, and her grades had started to slip, much to Jacques' rage.

She was trying with everything she had, but she was making mistakes she normally never would have. Her grades averaged between ninety percent and ninety-four percent, which Yang and Blake persistently reassured her were still impressive. Unfortunately, Jacques disagreed, and only got stricter.

Yang had started to vanish from social situations, spending more and more time in the investigation Weiss periodically heard her mention.

Blake was still present, but as the days went by, she seemed more and more nervous, often checking over her shoulder wherever she went.

Weiss' interaction with her siblings was like night and day from each other.

On the weekends, she got to go with Winter to various places, far away from Jacques. The destination never mattered, she took advantage of opportunities like sleeping, eating decently, and getting some of the only positive interaction she could with a family member.

On weekdays, she dealt with Whitley's snide and stuck up behavior, doing everything she could to try to ignore him. She had started to wonder if maybe she was being harsh on him, until he began to reply in kind. His snide behavior slowly got more passive-aggressive and angry.

Between her siblings, she wished she could spend all of her time with Winter and none with Whitley, but when she returned from Winter's house at the end of the weekend, she once again realized she had no such choice.

“Thank you,” Weiss said, uncomfortably aware that she was only a few minutes away from the mansion at this point. “Any weekend you pull me away from here is nice, but I really needed to get out of Boise again.”

“If it was my choice, you'd spend every weekend at my apartment,” Winter said. “I hope this weekend was sufficient, however.”

“It was,” Weiss said.

Perhaps the hilight of the weekend, above all else, was finally receiving the gaff, the undergarment which masked everything between her legs. It was uncomfortable at times, but it bulldozed through her dysphoria at the speed of light and she would happily take that trade any time.

“Once father goes to bed,” Winter suggested. “Perhaps you could practice makeup, as he won't be around to catch you.”

“It's a decent idea, but I doubt I'll be able to do that,” Weiss said.

Winter nodded, lacking an argument.

Several seconds passed in silence, while Weiss fought with herself on whether or not she should speak her mind.

“Winter?” Weiss asked. “Over the past couple weeks, I've been thinking... how far do you think father would go to bring me back if I just... ran away?”

Winter cocked her head, thinking.

“I think he'd exercise a lot of his power to keep you here,” Winter sighed. “If he loses you, he's down to one heir, of the three he potentially had.”

“I know,” Weiss said, dejected.

“If you're determined, however, I think you still may be able to get away from him,” Winter said. “It wouldn't be easy.”

“It has to be better than this, right?” Weiss asked. “It's torture, going day to day like this. I'm so sleep deprived that after two days of sleeping twelve hours each, I _still_ feel tired. I'm always hungry, I'm always miserable. I have to prioritize Cardin Winchester over my friends, I constantly have to hide who I am, and if I let father down in any, insignificant, miniscule way, I will be yelled at, at best. More likely, I'll be hit.”

Winter pulled the car to a stop, still a few blocks away from Jacques' house.

“I want to help,” Winter said. “So, regardless of what he does, if you ask me to, I'll turn this car around right now and we will go right back to my apartment, and I'll do everything I can to protect you from him. I just need you to understand that from his viewpoint, he's been easy on you, and he will be far harsher if we do this.”

Weiss buried her face in her hands.

“This isn't a situation you should be in,” Winter said. “But if you're sure about running away, I'll help you, no questions asked other than 'are you sure?'”

Weiss folded her arms, thinking.

“I don't know,” Weiss admitted. “It sounds like torture to go back, but I'm scared of what will happen if I don't.”

Winter didn't add more, she just gave Weiss an understanding look.

“I can't run,” Weiss sighed. “As much as I want to.”

Winter nodded, and within a few seconds, they were once more driving towards Jacques' manor.

When the car pulled to a stop next, Weiss knew that she couldn't linger. If she waited, she would never bring herself to get out.

“I will see you again soon,” Weiss said, picking up her backpack.

“I look forward to it,” Winter smiled. “Be safe, please.”

“I will,” Weiss said.

And with that, Weiss closed the door and returned to the house.

She felt lucky in that Jacques wasn't home. Perhaps she could spend the rest of the day in relative peace.

“Hello, brother.”

Or not.

Weiss recovered from having jumped in surprise, and turned to face Whitley.

“Hello,” Weiss said, irritably.

“Don't sound so annoyed to see me,” Whitley sighed. “I'm only your brother, after all.”

“We haven't ever had a pleasant conversation,” Weiss said. “So forgive me if I don't expect that to change now.”

Whitley rolled his eyes.

“I'm curious,” Whitley said. “What are you really doing with Winter?”

“What are you talking about?” Weiss scoffed.

“You're obviously not going with her for 'business lessons'. You actually look excited to go, and you're usually especially annoyed when you return,” Whitley said. “I wonder what father would say if he knew-”

“If he knew what?” Weiss snapped, feeling panic rise in her throat.

“If he knew that Winter was being dishonest,” Whitley said.

“You'd really sink that low?” Weiss asked.

“I have to make do with what I have, after all,” Whitley said. “Not all of us have an older sibling to bail us out of father's responsibilities every weekend.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

“You're jealous, that's it?” Weiss asked.

“And what ever would I be jealous of?” Whitley scoffed. “No, I have nothing to feel insecure about because unlike you, I'm perfectly capable of meeting father's standards. You, on the other hand, insist on fighting him at every opportunity.”

“Well, unlike you, I have my own interests and needs,” Weiss retorted. “You may be perfectly content with the idea of being Jacques Schnee two point oh, but I'm not, I'm my own person, I'm-”

“A contrarian!” Whitley remarked. “You think arguing with everyone gives you some kind of elite personality, you see yourself as strong because you fight against everyone you can see.”

“I don't want to fight anyone,” Weiss snapped. “I just want to live my life as me, and if someone tries to take that choice from me, of course I fight them, I-”

“I'm younger than you and I'm mature enough to let go of stupid delusions and embarrassing ideals, why can't you?” Whitley argued.

“I'm not delusional!” Weiss said as she stormed down the hallway.

“Really?” Whitley scoffed. “Because you're determined to get father to let you dress in drag, and you actually think that's more important than running one of the most successful companies for hundreds of miles!”

“It's not drag,” Weiss seethed, already feeling queasy at the comparison. “You would never understand, you're just like father, so you could never feel any compassion for anyone that isn't like you.”

“You think everything I want is prioritized?” Whitley began.

Weiss felt her temper skyrocket, not willing to wait for Whitley to compare her gender identity to being denied the right to go see a movie or to have another hundred dollars added to one's allowance.

“Oh, I'm so sorry,” Weiss scoffed. “You're right, you have it tragically bad. Father doesn't let you have a third serving of dessert after dinner, and he didn't let you go on vacation to Paris last summer, you're clearly just as much of a victim as I am. Listen, you don't understand anything about me. I'm not a drag queen. I'm not a gay man, I'm not a contrarian, and you'd understand that if you ever actually tried.”

“I did try!” Whitley snapped. “I asked you several times.”

“No, you didn't!” Weiss retorted. “You asked me why I fight father, you never actually asked me what I meant.”

“What's the difference?” Whitley scoffed.

“The difference?” Weiss rolled her eyes. “Just leave me alone, I'm done arguing about this.”

“Well, there's a surprise,” Whitley snapped.

“That's enough,” a voice said. “From both of you.”

Weiss and Whitley both went completely silent, in surprise.

They both turned to see Willow, who had stepped into the hallway, bottle in hand like usual.

“Mother,” Weiss sighed. “What do you-”

“We have enough to deal with, without you two at each other's throats,” Willow said. “Surely you two can sit down and speak to each other respectfully.”

Weiss blinked, astonished.

“You of all people don't have any right to step in,” Weiss said.

“If you're really so concerned, why haven't you spoken to either of us, at all, recently?” Whitley asked.

Willow gave a heavy sigh, looking at the ground.

“This isn't about me,” she said. “Both of you, come sit down in the living room.”

“I have a mountain of work to get started on,” Weiss argued. “I'm not-”

“Warren,” Willow scolded. “I'm not asking.”

Weiss opened her door, setting her backpack in the room, and then begrudgingly took a seat in the living room.

“What the hell is going on between you two?” Willow asked.

“I just want to be able to exist without Whitley jumping down my throat every five seconds,” Weiss snapped.

“I just want my brother to actually speak to me, for once,” Whitley said.

“We both know it's not really about that,” Weiss began.

“Yes, it is!” Whitley argued. “All I've wanted this whole time is to actually have someone here to get along with other than Klein!”

Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Warren,” Willow said. “Is it really Whitley you're upset at?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “I have an abundance of responsibilities I'm drowning under, no thanks to you, and every time I try to focus on any of them, Whitley is constantly pestering me about wanting to be who I am.”

Willow rubbed her forehead.

“You have an abundance of responsibilities because of your father,” Willow clarified. “And your father is the one restricting your options. Whitley just wants to talk to his brother.”

“Stop it,” Weiss said. “You act like you're so concerned about me, but you've never lifted a finger to help me. You want me to be reasonable, but you know exactly why I'm fighting father and you've clearly taken a side.”

Willow frowned.

“You were there,” Weiss said. “You were right there when I told him who _I_ really was, you were right there when he cut my face open, and you did _nothing_. How could you just watch and do nothing?”

Weiss hadn't realized that she was on the verge of tears.

The room was silent for several seconds.

“If anything, you're just proving my point,” Willow said. “You're not angry at Whitley. You're angry at your father and I.”

“Of course I am!” Weiss said, standing.

“Warren-”

“Stop calling me that!” Weiss demanded, overwhelmed. “You heard everything, you know-”

“I remember very little of that night,” Willow said. “I was drunk.”

“And whose fault is that?” Weiss snapped. “What does it take for you to prioritize your children over a stupid bottle?”

Willow winced.

“I'm sorry,” Willow sighed.

Weiss took a seat once more, burying her face in her hands.

“I opened my heart up to the house,” Weiss said. “I made it clear that I was born... wrong. That I'm not Warren, and I never have been.”

“That doesn't make any sense,” Whitley argued. “If you're attracted to-”

“Don't,” Weiss said. “I'm not gay. That's never been what I've meant.”

Whitley stopped talking, confused.

“How do you know?” Willow asked. Weiss closed her eyes, exhasperated. “How do you know you're different?”

“Because I know myself, mother,” Weiss said.

“You mean...” Whitley said. “Like Marigold... or Jenner.”

Weiss cringed, rolling her eyes.

“Like Marigold,” Weiss said. “May Marigold is like me, yes. Caitlin Jenner is also... technically like me, but that doesn't mean I support her.”

“Why? Why would you choose to-” Whitley asked. Weiss stood up again, feeling a molten anger churning in her head.

“I didn't choose anything,” Weiss said. “It's who I am. It's not a phase, it's not going to go away. I know because I know myself. I know because for years, the name Warren has felt like poison. It's felt wrong.”

“So these weekends with Winter,” Whitley said, clearly putting two and two together. “She's taking you, what, to get makeup? Clothes?”

Weiss' blood ran cold.

“That isn't your business,” Weiss said.

“Whitley,” Willow said. “I understand you're upset, but-”

“Upset?” Whitley scoffed. “No, mother, why would I be upset? Once again, I'm left out. I'm stuck here doing assignments for father while he gets a free pass-”

“Left out?” Weiss asked, incredulously. “I'm not going off on fun trips, I'm-”

“That's enough!” Willow interrupted. “You both clearly have intense emotions on the matter, but if you're arguing like this you're just going to hurt each other.”

Weiss fumed silently, trying to find the words she wanted to say.

“Why shouldn't I bring this to father?” Whitley asked. “If I have to stay here and endure everything, why shouldn't you?”

Weiss was at a loss. She stormed off to her room, unable to put up with Whitley's attitude any longer.

“I'm not done speaking to you!” Whitley snapped.

“That's unfortunate, because I have nothing left to say, and I have no intention of listening,” Weiss said.

She stepped into her room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Weiss had been silently dreading the moment Jacques would return, hoping with every molecule of her being that Whitley had a change of heart. She had tried to talk to him, about an hour after she had stormed off, but Whitley refused to listen to her.

Every minute leading up to his arrival was like its own anxiety attack. She couldn't focus at all on any of her work, she had merely fidgetted in her seat for an hour, scenario after scenario running through her head.

It was occasionally broken up by thoughts of Whitley's words. She felt angry about several of them, but others broke further through to her.

Whitley... had sounded like her. He sounded just as hurt, just as vulnerable.

She didn't know if this was just an attempt to manipulate her, or if Whitley was being truthful.

Eventually, she went to get a glass of water, lacking any ability to concentrate.

Whitley was already in the kitchen.

“Whitley,” Weiss said, nervously. “Will you please talk to me?”

“I thought you had nothing left to say, and no intention of listening,” Whitley snapped.

“I'm sorry,” Weiss said.

“I don't want to hear any of it,” Whitley said. “Anything you say at this point is just to save yourself.”

“Have I really hurt you so badly you'd tell father?” Weiss asked.

“You really don't understand, do you?” Whitley scoffed. “I've been trying just to speak to you for months, and you've blown me off every time. I don't care if you're my brother, or my sister, or anything else, I just want to have a sibling I actually know. I want the bond my friends have with their siblings, the bond you have with Winter, but you both just avoid me and treat me like a plague. What did I ever do to you that was so bad?”

Weiss was about to argue, but his last words hit deeper than anything he had argued before.

She took a few deep breaths, calming herself down as much as she could.

Had she really treated him so unfairly?

She looked back, on every interaction with Whitley she could remember.

“You just treat me like I'm him,” Whitley said. “You treat me like I'm our father. You act like I want to be like him, but I don't! I never have!”

“I'm sorry,” Weiss said.

“I told you, I don't want to hear your pitiful attempts at-”

“Whitley,” Weiss said. “I mean it. This isn't to save me. If you want to tell father... if that'd really make you feel better... then fine. Up until today, I thought you were just like him. I can see now that wasn't fair.”

Whitley froze, processing her words.

“Why? Why are you willing to listen now?” Whitley asked.

“I should have earlier,” Weiss said. “But I'd like to fix this now. Not just for me. Whitley, I can see that you're scared. It never occurred to me that you were a victim in all of this too... but it should have, and I'm sorry.”

For a moment, Whitley's expression was raw and vulnerable... but then it changed. She couldn't place it. Anger? No, that wasn't right. He looked ill...

“Whitley?” Weiss asked.

“I...” Whitley stammered. “I never thought you'd actually listen to me. If I did, I wouldn't have...”

Something felt severely off, she felt like she was missing something.

Then it hit her.

Guilt. The expression on his face was guilt.

She looked down.

 _Whitley's hand was clutching his phone_.

“I'm sorry,” Whitley said, and Weiss could faintly hear the garage door opening up, which could only mean one thing.

Jacques was home.

* * *

“How's the hunt going?” Blake asked, stepping into Yang's room.

“I've been looking for weeks,” Yang sighed. “I found something a few hours ago, though.”

Blake's heart sank, knowing that Yang's lack of enthusiasm couldn't mean anything good.

“What did you find?” Blake asked.

“Okay,” Yang said. “For one, the guy who stole the car, allegedly, uh... we know nothing about him. The name was a fake. I ran searches on the ID, his history dead ends about a year before the ticket was written.”

“Well, there's a picture, we can work with that, right?” Blake asked.

“Yeah,” Yang said. “I sent it to Junior. Maybe he can find something. The other thing... about four years ago, someone found the car abandoned on a sideroad about sixty miles out from Lewiston, in Northern Idaho.”

“Where is it now?” Blake asked.

“Compounded,” Yang said. “It was a bucket of rust by that point, and clearly hadn't moved from that spot in years. It's been turned into a cube and disposed of, meaning any evidence still inside...”

“Gone,” Blake sighed.

“Yup,” Yang said. “Just another goddamn dead end.”

“I'm so sorry,” Blake said.

“I'm just so sick of every lead being a waste of time,” Yang said. “So far, the best thing I have is the mugshot of someone who had her car, ten years ago.”

“That's not true,” Blake said. “You know he had her car, which could only have a number of explanations. You know this ticket was written about six years after she went missing.”

“And I have no reason to believe she was even still alive when the dude was pulled over,” Yang said. “If this psycho took her... odds are she was gone by the time I turned a year old.”

Blake sighed.

“I'm not gonna lie,” Blake said. “That's possible, yes. But until we know that for sure, there's always a chance she's still out there. On top of that, there's also the possibility she wasn't kidnapped.”

“And she, what, left me? Just like dad said she did?” Yang scoffed.

“Yes,” Blake said. “In which case, there's a really good chance she's still alive.”

“And if that was true, what reason would she have to come back?” Yang asked. “If she just _left_ , clearly I wasn't enough for her then. If she never came back for sixteen _years_ , why would she change her mind now?”

“I know you want her back,” Blake said.

“You don't get it, Blake,” Yang said. “You grew up surrounded by loving family. I spent my whole childhood with a dad that was absent and the shadow of two moms, who both just disappeared out of my life. I had to be a mother to Ruby, when I never even got to have a mom in the first place! It isn't fair!”

“No, it isn't,” Blake said. “And I'm not here to try to convince you it was fair, or to get over it. I just wanna help.”

Blake scooted closer to Yang, offering out her arms. Yang wiped her eyes, before accepting.

Blake pulled Yang into a deep embrace.

“I know none of the possibilities here are good,” Blake said. “And I will back you up no matter what. If you want to keep looking, you'll have my help every second. If you want to stop, I'll support that, too. And if you do keep looking, no matter what you find, I'll be there with you when you get there, okay?”

Yang nodded.

“Thank you,” Yang said.

“Of course. And I can't speak for them, but I'd be willing to bet Ruby and Weiss are also here to help,” Blake said.

Yang nodded.

“As much as they can," Yang said. "Salem's been like Ruby's worst nightmare, and we all know Weiss is... well...”

“Yeah,” Blake said. “But they both still care about you a great deal.”

“On a brighter note,” Yang said, quickly trying to change the conversation. “Halloween's coming up, did you get a costume figured out?”

“I think I might have found an idea, but I don't think anyone will get it,” Blake said.

“Oh?” Yang raised an eyebrow.

“Have you ever heard of the TV show _Firefly_?” Blake asked.

“Dude, Ruby and I love that show,” Yang said.

“I was thinking of going as Zoe,” Blake said.

“You'd make an amazing Zoe,” Yang said. “Damn, and now I wanna go as Kaley.”

“You really think I'd pull it off well?” Blake asked.

“Absolutely,” Yang nodded.

“I had it down to that or Catwoman, but I'm honestly not comfortable going as a sex icon,” Blake sighed. “I wanted to be someone strong, a good role model, you know? But most female role models in media are... really sexual, and I don't really like that.”

“I feel ya,” Yang said. “I mean, to be fair, I'm a pretty sexual person, but that's my choice, and I don't think enough storywriters are decent enough to write any exceptions to that.”

“That's why I like Zoe,” Blake said. “Plus, most of the strong female characters look nothing like me.”

“And that's irritating, too,” Yang said. “But, I know a writer who can make a huge difference there.”

“Thanks,” Blake smiled. “I just hate being at the halfway point between two extremely underrepresented races.”

“Two?” Yang raised an eyebrow.

“My dad's Black and my mom's Indian,” Blake explained. 

“Gotcha,” Yang nodded. “Wait-”

“Not Native American,” Blake clarified. “Indian.”

“Gotcha,” Yang said. “I know I don't understand a lot of the issues you face. And I'd like to apologize if I've ever done anything... you know... not okay.”

“Everyone does, to an extent,” Blake said. “There's a misconception, when it comes to discrimination. People see it very black and white. You're either discriminatory or you're not, and I don't really agree with that view. I see it as a spectrum. You have people like Jacques Schnee. Unapologetically racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic... just completely awful and bigoted. People like him make one side of the spectrum. Unlearning racist behavior, or really any discriminatory behavior, it takes time. You're never really done. Take Weiss, for example. We're supportive of her, and always will be, but at some point, we will do something unintentionally transphobic. As cis people, it's practically guaranteed. So, when it happens, it's our job to recognize that it wasn't okay, once it's pointed out to us, and then apologize and work on doing better. And it applies to race in a similar way. Sooner or later, you'll probably do something racist. When that happens, I'll let you know. What I need from you is to listen when I explain that, and take what I say to heart.”

“Absolutely,” Yang said. “I can do that.”

“And if I accidentally do something panphobic, please let me know,” Blake said. “And I'll do the same.”

“You got it,” Yang nodded, smiling.

* * *

“Whitley,” Weiss said, nervously. “What did-”

The door opened, interrupting her.

“I...” Whitley stammered, his voice faltering.

Jacques stepped into the room, and Weiss could practically feel the anger radiating off of him.

The vein in his forehead was bulging. He carried himself with a terrifying degree of force. He slammed the door behind him, and made his way into the kitchen, Weiss and Whitley both quickly stepping out of his way when it became apparent he wasn't going to stop and wait for them to move.

He pulled out a glass, and poured scotch into it, taking a sip, before turning to face Weiss.

She looked up to the giant, trembling before him.

“F-father?” Weiss asked, feeling her paranoia grow by the second.

She expected him to yell, to lash out...

But this was worse.

He just continued to drink his scotch, before setting the glass down.

“You both are to take a seat in the living room,” Jacques said. “And wait.”

“I-” Whitley began.

“Did I stutter, boy?” Jacques asked.

Whitley shook his head, and quickly took a seat on the couch. Weiss followed suit.

The two of them waited, for nearly an hour, as Jacques stormed around the house.

At one point, he barged into Weiss' room, to her dismay. When he returned, her backpack was in his hand, unzipped.

Her blood was like ice.

She felt as if she couldn't move, as if she had been frozen solid.

Jacques threw the backpack onto the couch, and began pacing back and forth.

“Jacques?” Willow asked, stepping into the room. “What-”

“Sit down,” he said. Willow flinched, and took a seat next to Weiss and Whitley.

“What is this about, dear?” Willow asked.

“It's time we have a family discussion,” he said. “We're waiting for the last member of the family to arrive.”

“Father-” Weiss began, realizing what he meant.

Before she could say more, the door opened, and Winter walked in, her hands folded behind her back.

“I apologize,” Winter said. “I was nearly to my dorm when you called me.”

“Sit,” Jacques snapped.

Winter begrudgingly did so, sitting on Weiss' other side. Whitley was to the far left, then Willow, then Weiss, and finally Winter.

Jacques picked up the backpack, and turned it over.

Weiss' wig, a makeup bag, and several shirts, skirts, and pants came crashing out.

“I will make myself incredibly clear,” Jacques said. “I have no patience for any nonsense, so I expect everyone to cooperate with me. I have several questions. I'll start with you, _Winter_.”

Weiss looked to her older sister, trembling.

“I checked your purchase history,” Jacques continued. “And how surprising to find that you've recently bought makeup and clothing in surplus, not to mention a damn wig. Now, unless I'm severely underestimating your interests-”

Winter stood, folding her arms.

“Yes, I bought them,” Winter said. “And I'd do it again.”

“Several weeks ago, it was mentioned to me that my own son wanted to participate in disgusting liberal crossdressing habits,” Jacques said.

Weiss had enough.

“Weeks ago, I told you I was transgender,” Weiss snapped. “That has nothing to do with a political belief, and everything to do with who I am.”

“Shut. Up,” Jacques spat. “I will give you permission to speak when I deem it necessary.”

“Jacques-” Willow attempted to interject.

“Enough,” Jacques said. “How many of you remember a certain incident from eleven years ago?”

“If you're referring to the day Ilia, Ciel, and I expirimented with makeup, as eight year olds often do, I fail to see its relevance,” Winter said.

“I would rather think of that day as what it was,” Jacques argued. “The day you _broke_ my son.”

Jacques words stung, it felt like someone was tearing Weiss' heart into pieces.

“It isn't possible to inflict psychological damage that severe on someone with a dress and makeup, one single time,” Winter said.

“Since that day,” Jacques said, ignoring her. “I have hoped it would all fade away, and he would heal. Then, he mentions his new delusion a few weeks ago. I thought it ended there, which was rather foolish of me. Clearly I failed to account for _you_.”

“All I'm doing is protecting and helping _her_ ,” Winter said. “Which should have been your job, but you elected to harrass and injure her instead. I'm happy to show her the love and care that you won't.”

“How long have you been pushing these ridiculous beliefs on my son?” Jacques asked.

“She isn't pushing anything on me,” Weiss said. “I came to her for help. I asked her to.”

“ _How. Long?_ ” Jacques asked, livid.

“Just since halfway through last month,” Weiss said.

“Well, maybe there's hope for you yet, then,” Jacques said.

“Jacques, that's-” Willow began.

“Did you know?” Jacques snapped, turning to face her. “Did you know that this was going on right under my nose?”

Willow's face drained of all color, as she shrank away from Jacques.

“No, I didn't,” she said.

“Did you encourage this?” he asked.

“No, I didn't,” she repeated.

“And Whitley,” Jacques said, turning to face him. “When did you learn of this?”

“Today,” Whitley said. “Only about a half hour before I told you.”

“You told him?” Winter gasped, turning to face him. “That's a new low, even for you. How dare-”

“That's enough!” Jacques roared. “I've had enough of this. Warren, I've grown impatient with your attitude, your delusions, your temper. If that boarding school still had any openings, you'd be on your way there right now, but as it stands, I'll have to improvise. You've shown you cannot be trusted with the privilleges I grant you, so I'll be revoking them. You are no longer to leave the house, at all, except to go to and from school. I will be taking your door, as you've shown that privacy is just your means of indulging these embarrassing behaviors. You will not be receiving an allowance at all until your behavior improves significantly. I'll be taking you to get that ridiculous hair cut off, and-”

“No,” Winter said, stepping in front of her. “That's enough. I'm leaving and she's coming with me.”

“It's funny that you bring yourself up,” Jacques sneered. “Because you aren't getting out of this either. You have been a complete embarrassment of a daughter, a-”

“Say whatever you want to me,” Winter said, stepping closer to him. She was only a few inches shorter than him, and matched his intimidating posture remarkably well. “But I'm leaving and I'm taking her with, and there is nothing you can do about it.”

“Actually, there is plenty I can do about it,” Jacques retorted. “As of right now, you are no longer my daughter. I am revoking any and all inheritance and right you have to any Schnee property.”

Without blinking, Winter retorted.

“You think that'll stop me? I knew that was coming as soon as I realized I was gay,” Winter said.

Jacques faltered, in shock.

“Winter,” Weiss said, stepping up to her.

“Come on, Weiss, we're leaving,” Winter said.

“No, you're not,” Jacques said, grabbing Weiss' shoulder. She tried to pull away, but he had her in an iron grip. “You're going to leave this manor, and I will be reposessing your car, your apartment, your college fund, everything you own.”

“That is perfectly fine by me,” Winter said, pulling out her phone. She dialed a number, and within seconds, she had Ciel on the line.

“Hello?” Ciel's voice said.

“I need a favor,” Winter said. “Can you pick me up from my family's manor? My father repossessed my car.”

“Absolutely,” Ciel's surprised voice said.

Winter hung up, turning back to Jacques.

“You aren't taking him with you,” Jacques said.

“I'm not staying here,” Weiss argued. “I'm not staying with you any longer, I refuse.”

It was Jacques' turn to pull out his phone. He, on the other hand, paged security.

Before more than a few seconds passed, Hazel Rainart had entered the room.

“Is everything alright, sir?” he asked.

“Escort my failure of a daughter from these premises, and do not let her return under any circumstances,” Jacques barked.

“Yes, sir,” Hazel said.

For the first time today, Winter's confidence faltered.

Weiss struggled, breaking out of her father's grip at last.

She rushed to Winter, before Hazel blocked her.

“I'll ask you this once,” Hazel said. “If you don't comply, I will use force to get you off the grounds.”

“I'll go,” Winter said. “But I'm not going without-”

“You don't set the terms,” Hazel said.

“As the heir to this company, I order you to stop,” Weiss said, panicked.

Hazel stopped for a moment, unsure of who to listen to.

“You're not the heir,” Jacques interrupted. “Not anymore.”

“What?” Willow, Weiss, Winter, and Whitley all said, simultaneously.

“You've done enough damage to our name,” Jacques said. “Which is why you will generously revoke your claim, and pass it on to your brother, Whitley.”

“Fine,” Weiss said. “With pleasure. I've been trying to for weeks. Since I'm no longer your heir, what do you have to lose by letting me _leave_?”

“Reputation,” Jacques snapped. “You aren't heir anymore because you're clearly mentally incapable of holding the role. You're certainly not responsible enough to go out on your own. You're not leaving this manor.”

“Let's go,” Hazel said, and began to force Winter from the house.

“Winter!” Weiss called, following, before Jacques grabbed her by the collar.

“I'm sorry, Weiss,” Winter called, her voice panicked and shaky. “I'll find a way to fix this!”

And then, she was gone.

Weiss fell to the ground as Jacques let her go.

She backed away, climbing back to her feet.

“What makes you think you can stop me from leaving?” Weiss snapped.

“Twelve armed guards, for one,” Jacques said, gathering up everything Winter had bought her.

“That isn't yours,” Weiss snapped.

“It was bought _by_ my property, _with my money_ , and in the posession of _my_ property,” Jacques said.

“I'm not your property, and neither is she!” Weiss argued, trying to pull her belongings away from him.

“She isn't my property as of a few minutes ago,” Jacques said. “As my son, you still are.”

“Jac-” Willow began.

“You two are dismissed!” Jacques snapped. “Get out.”

Weiss continued to pull as Whitley and Willow quickly left the room.

Jacques finally won the contest, as Weiss was at a severe disadvantage of strength.

He stormed over to the garage, and threw her belongings into a garbage bin.

She watched in revulsion as the wig that had been her serenity, her escape, soaked in grease and tomato sauce that had begun to rot. Her clothes landed on rotting meat.

Everything that had been her safety.

Winter.

Her makeup.

Her clothes.

Her wig.

Ciel.

_Gone._

_All of it, just... gone._

Jacques shoved past her, picking up a toolbox.

She watched the man walk down the hallway, to her door.

She felt miserable as he unscrewed the hinges of her bedroom door, and then carried said door into the garage.

“I'll be taking you to get your hair cut within the week,” Jacques said.

“No,” Weiss said, with all of the willpower she had left. She couldn't stop Hazel from dragging Winter out, she couldn't stop Jacques from trashing everything she held dear, she couldn't stop him from taking away her privacy, but she _refused_ to let him take away the one thing she had left.

She always felt her most miserable when her hair was at its shortest, and she had finally started to feel hopeful about its length.

“You won't touch my hair,” Weiss said.

“This isn't up for debate,” Jacques said.

“I refuse to sit still,” Weiss said. “You won't find a single person out there who can cut the hair of someone thrashing around. I. Refuse.”

Jacques glared down at her, becoming angrily aware that she was right.

“Very well. Since you're so determined, I'll revoke more of your privilleges, then,” Jacques said. “To start, you can sleep on the floor. I'll have my men dispose of your bed.”

“Fine,” Weiss said.

“You'll eventually break,” Jacques said.

“Good luck with that,” Weiss said, before turning to return to her now exposed room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I think this was probably the most intense chapter of this story so far. On the upside, the next chapter will contain a decent amount of fluff, which should help balance it out.   
> I realize it was only briefly mentioned in an earlier chapter, so I'd like to clarify right now. In this story, Blake is a person of color.   
> One of my biggest issues with RWBY as a whole is the lack of racial diversity, and as such, I strongly headcanon Blake as Black, or in the case of Chrysalis, biracial.   
> That being said, I'm white and am obviously prone to accidentally incorporating racist trends into my writing, so if I do so, please let me know and I will change it.


	23. Friends, Family, and the Winchester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whitley and Weiss have a heart to heart. Robyn, May, Joanna, and Fiona come to Weiss with a rather risky request.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for depression, anxiety, bullying, a graphic description of violence, Adam Taurus and cyberstalking, more child abuse because Jacques Schnee exists, misgendering, deadnaming, a graphic explanation of gender dysphoria, and election fraud.

When Weiss walked to the bus stop, the changes of the time of year had started to take impact. It was darker than usual, which was only amplified by the heavy rainclouds above.

Weiss desperately wished she either had an umbrella, or that her jacket had a hood, but unfortunately, neither were true.

That being said, she still refused to pass up the opportunity to walk.

Being trapped in Jacques' manor the last night had been the worst night of her life thus far.

Winter... torn away from her.

She didn't have any more weekend escapes to look forward to, it was true, but even worse was her concern for Winter.

Was she okay? She had lost her car, her home, and everything she owned in a single night.

Weiss honestly didn't know what Winter would have done if she had succeeded in taking Weiss with her. She was clearly in no state to take care of someone else.

As for her own wellbeing, she was incredibly lucky as Jacques hadn't taken her phone yet.

She was fully prepared for him to do so, however.

She wasn't worried about most of her phone. She wouldn't miss it, except for one single part: her pictures, many of which now consisted of relics of her past that she had been unwilling to part with.

Jacques may have taken her clothes, her makeup, her wig, but at the very least, she would find a way to cling to their memory.

She wondered how long he would allow her these walks. He could easily order Klein or someone else to drive her to school. If he knew how much she needed these walks, he would use them in a heartbeat to coerce her into getting a haircut.

She wished now, more than ever, she had taken up Winter's offer, less than a day ago. She should have just told her to turn around and drive off, and they could have both had a head start on Jacques.

Now anything she did, he would be ready for.

Her window to run off on her own was closing quickly.

She was only allowed to leave the house when he approved it, and these walks to and from the bus stop were her only chance to act without either Jacques or someone on Jacques' payroll having a say in it.

She could run...

Right now.

How long until she didn't even have that option?

But it felt hopeless either way.

She had no clue how to survive on her own, without help. She had never been on her own.

Not to mention, Jacques' police would drag her back if they ever found her.

How was she supposed to fight that?

Once more, Weiss felt as though her life was collapsing around her. Everything she could see was pointless.

She could stay at the manor, and have Jacques slowly strip away every right she had, until she was left with nothing. A prisoner, with no ability to choose. Who knew how long she had until he found another boarding school to send her off to?

Or she could run, and spend years trying to avoid his radar, trying to outrun everyone that worked for him. People with more money, more skill, more power...

What could a sixteen year old girl do to survive that?

“Weiss?”

When Blake's words pierced the early morning air, and pulled her out of her own thoughts, she felt as though she had been pulled back to the surface.

She hadn't realized she was nearing the bus stop, and then Blake had spoken from behind her.

Weiss turned to face her.

“What are you doing without an umbrella?” Blake asked, quickly running up to her.

Blake's umbrella was purple and black, and Weiss couldn't help but notice that an umbrella brought Blake's aesthetic together perfectly.

She hadn't realized just how much Blake meant to her, just how much Blake just existing near her always seemed to make her feel better, but this time, it was apparent.

“I don't own one,” Weiss said, wiping her forehead and bangs clean of the collected downpour as Blake shielded her from the rain.

“I'd say you'd catch a cold, but that's actually inaccurate,” Blake said. “Are you okay?”

Weiss had no energy to lie.

“I'm not,” Weiss sighed. “Last night was a complete train wreck.”

“What happened?” Blake asked.

“Father found out how much Winter has been doing to help me,” Weiss sighed. “He disowned her, he threw away all of my makeup, all of the clothes I own that aren't masculine, my wig... he tore out my door, he threw out my bed.”

“Oh my god,” Blake said, as they reached the stop. Neither of them took a seat due to the boulder holding a two inch deep puddle.

“Winter tried to take me with her, but our security threw her out, and I haven't heard from her since,” Weiss said. “I don't know what to do, Blake. I want to run, I want to get far away from him, but every option I have, he still has all the power. If I stay, it'll just keep getting worse. If I run, he'll send people after me.”

Weiss felt as if she was wilting, collapsing under the pressure.

“What do I do?” she asked.

Blake pulled her into a hug, not bothered in the slightest by Weiss' soaked jacket.

“I don't know,” Blake said. “But you won't be alone. I promise.”

“But I will,” Weiss said, every ounce of hope evaporating. “If I stay, he'll send me away once he finds a boarding school that still has an opening. If I run, I'll be running alone.”

“There has to be a third option,” Blake said. “We'll find it, okay?”

Weiss didn't know how to believe her, but she nodded, hoping that she was simply being pessimistic.

“Can I ask for a favor?” Weiss asked. “My father will probably take my phone if I continue to fight him. I don't care what happens to it, but I have a few pictures that are really important to me.”

“Send them to me, I'll keep them safe,” Blake smiled. Weiss nodded, taking out her phone, and sending every transition picture she had taken.

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

“You really are beautiful,” Blake said, as she received them. She saved each one to her camera roll, then they both pocketted their phones.

Weiss was extremely grateful that Blake wasn't looking, when she blushed in response to her compliment.

“Thank you,” Weiss said, awkwardly.

* * *

“Hey, Weiss,” Neon said, pulling her aside in the library. “I got a favor to ask... and kind of offer?”

“Okay?” Weiss asked, confused.

“You've been wanting chances to... catch up, on things you never got to learn, right?” Neon asked.

“I have,” Weiss confirmed.

“What do you say about learning about fashion?” Neon asked.

“I'd really like that,” Weiss asked.

“Neo needs a hand with costumes, for _Rent_ , all the other costume designers are acting in the play so most of the work has been hers alone,” Neon said.

“I'd love to help,” Weiss said. “It... it's not after school, is it?”

“All play activities are,” Neon said.

“I don't know if I can,” Weiss said, her heart sinking.

“Your father?” Neon asked. Weiss nodded. “Look, I overheard you telling Ruby and Yang earlier. I'm really sorry, that's an awful way to treat your own daughters. I know it's not a lot, but I could see if Director Qrow would be willing to tell your father it's an intellectual after-school activity.”

“That... might work,” Weiss said.

“Let's go see him,” Neon said. “If you're around that house less, I'll consider it a victory.”

* * *

“Let me get this straight,” Qrow said. “You want me to fake paperwork citing your participation in _Rent_ as an Advanced Calculus Club?”

Weiss nodded, her hopes of this plan working dwindling by the second.

“That's against a lot of rules,” Qrow said. “You expect me to break that many school policies just so you can spend time with theater geeks like me, rather than in that trash mansion?”

“I... was hoping-” Weiss stammered.

“I'm gonna say this once,” Qrow said. Weiss looked down. “Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 2:45 PM to 5:00 PM, and I expect good attendance. See you in Advanced Calculus.”

Qrow winked, before opening some documents on his computer and typing at the speed of light.

“W-what?” Weiss asked.

“Welcome to Director Qrow's production,” Neon grinned. “It's total anarchy in here.”

“Just give me a moment to get these papers printed off,” Qrow said. “Since you're inexperienced with this, I expect you to defer to Neo's expertise.”

Neo, who was sitting nearby, gave an appreciative nod to Weiss.

“Do you know sign language?” Neon asked, as if just realizing now that such a thing was necessary.

“With my academic expectations, I know this and several other languages,” Weiss signed.

Neo lit up, surprised.

“Ooh, what languages?” Neon asked.

“J'ai appris à parler Français en septième année,” Weiss said. “Ich habe Deutsch in der neunten Klasse gelernt und es ist meine Lieblingssprache. Και έμαθα ελληνικά πέρυσι.”

Neon blinked.

“I understood... none of that,” Neon said.

“French, German, and Greek,” Weiss clarified. “My Greek still needs work, but I'm semi-fluent.”

“You don't need to sign, I can hear,” Neo clarified. “I just can't speak, so I need to sign.”

“Would you prefer that I sign, or speak?” Weiss asked.

“I do generally prefer when people sign,” Neo signed.

“Then I am happy to do so,” Weiss signed back.

“Aaand... here we go,” Qrow said, handing Weiss a packet. “Do me a favor, don't go flashing that around, it could get me fired.”

Weiss nodded.

“Thank you, so much,” Weiss said.

“Any time,” Qrow said. “I know what shitty parents are like, and I'm happy to help.”

“So, is this your first time involved with a play?” Neon asked, pulling a pack of press-on nails out of her purse absentmindedly.

“It is,” Weiss said. “Father would never let me pursue anything related to entertainment. The closest I got was, in junior high, he let me attend singing lessons, because they might be exploitable for his image.”

“That's a shame, you really strike me as a theater nerd sometimes,” Neon said. “Maybe someday I can get you into it.”

“I think at this point I've missed out on the necessary background experience,” Weiss sighed. “Which is true for most of my interests, actually.”

“No way,” Neon said. “It's never too late to try. For anything. Did you know my dad draws comics? He didn't start until he was thirty-six because he felt like he had waited too long. He's been drawing for four years, and he's one of the best artists I know. It might be harder but if its something you really want, it's never too late to learn.”

“Thank you,” Weiss smiled. “How are you capable of being so optimistic?”

“A lot of privillege, to be honest,” Neon said. “I wish I could give a better answer, but I've actually had a really fortunate upbringing. That's why I don't shame or blame anyone for being pessimistic. I kinda see it as my job to help bring them as much hope as I can.”

“You were privilleged?” Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow. “You're trans, and you're bullied for it all the time.”

“Yeah,” Neon nodded. “But my family is extremely accepting of me. I didn't have to teach them much, they went out of their way to learn it themselves. I've never had to argue with them about my identity, and the moment I first told them, they accepted who I was without question. I had one aunt who didn't approve, and we don't talk to her anymore. My family is financially well-off enough that I've never struggled in any step of my transition, and I've never suffered other financial worries either. I haven't worried that I'll go hungry, or that I won't have a roof over my head. Aside from being a trans woman, I'm privilleged in just about every way. I'd actually say I'm far more privilleged than most trans women, if I'm being honest.”

“I never thought about it that way,” Weiss said.

“People like May, Jaune, Mercury, Penny,” Neon said. Lowering her voice, she whispered; “you,” then returned to speaking normally. “So many trans people struggle heavily with being accepted by family. Jaune didn't have that issue, but on the other hand he has faced a lot of financial hardship. And even in that case, I'd say most of the people I just listed are really racially privileged. In short, I'm optimistic because I've always had it pretty good. Doesn't mean I'm just gonna keep it all to myself. That's why I'm happy to use my assets to help people that were never given that.”

“I wish I could do that,” Weiss said. “With how much money my family has, I feel like I could do a lot of good if my father wasn't the one controlling where the money went.”

“Well, he won't always be,” Neon said. “You're going to inherit the company, right?”

Weiss sighed.

“Not anymore. After everything that happened last night, Whitley's been made the heir. While I think I've been a little harsh to him, I still can't see him acting in generosity. He may not be the carbon copy of my father that I thought he was, but I've still seen how selfish he can be.”

“Hmm,” Neon thought. “That's not the only way you can help people. Starting out, just standing up to bullies can be huge, and you've been doing great in that regard.”

“I'm glad I've been helping, but it feels like such a small effort,” Weiss said.

“You've got a lot on your plate right now,” Neon said. “But I'm pretty sure once you're in full control of your life again, you'll help a lot of people.”

“If I get full control of my life, not when,” Weiss grimaced. “It's looking more and more like that's never going to happen.”

“This is where most people would say 'not with that attitude,' but I know it's hard to feel hopeful when you're going through so much. Listen, I know it seems hopeless. And I can't promise that everything is going to be okay. I can promise, though, that you have a lot of good people in your corner, and they're not gonna let you drown,” Neon said. “You're not in this alone.”

Weiss nodded, trying her best to hang onto Neon's words.

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

“You don't have to keep thanking me,” Neon smiled. “If you ever need a friend, or even just a shoulder to lean or cry on, come find me, okay?”

Weiss nodded, unsure of what to say.

“You're an amazing friend,” Weiss said.

“I try,” Neon grinned. “Now, first period's about to start, so you should probably get outta here.”

* * *

“Hey, how's the writing project going?” Yang asked, sitting on Blake's side.

“Really well, actually,” Blake said. “It's called The Liberation of Sosaria, it's a fantasy novel. Initially it was just going to be for the contest, but I may expand it into an actual series now.”

“I'd love to read it,” Weiss said.

“When it's done, I'd be happy to give each of you a copy, if you'd want,” Blake said.

“Hell yeah,” Yang smiled.

“Sign me up for a copy, too!” Ruby said.

Blake was both blushing and smiling as Ruby, Weiss, and Yang expressed interest in her work.

“You really all want to read it?” Blake asked.

“Duh,” Ruby said.

“Of course,” Weiss said.

Yang nodded in agreement.

“I've never had anyone express interest in my work before,” Blake admitted. “Ilia isn't much of a bookworm. I know she would probably read it to be a good friend, but she never seemed overly invested. And... the only other person I've ever been close to... just called it a waste of time.”

“It's amazing that you're able to invest so much of yourself into an art form,” Weiss said. “I've always loved books, and the chance to read one that my best friend poured her heart and soul into? I'd never pass that up.”

“And anyone that wants to insult your work can eat their teeth,” Yang said, cracking her knuckles to emphasize her point.

Blake didn't even know how to describe the feeling that came over her. She had been getting used to having friends other than Ilia, but occasionally it would hit her just how protective and caring her friends were.

She understood now why her parents pushed her so hard to make friends like these.

She never wanted this feeling to go away.

It was like the most polar opposite of how Adam made her feel.

It felt safe, and warm, and comfortable.

It felt like family.

“So,” Yang said, as the topic shifted. “We've got a few events coming up. Obviously, a week from now, the school's having the Halloween party. Ruby's having her birthday party the day before. I know not everyone will be able to make it, but-”

“I'll make it,” Weiss said, suddenly. Yang raised an eyebrow. “My father has taken away every opportunity to actually make friends, and support them, but at this point he's running out of things to use to control me. I don't care if I have to sneak out of the mansion, I'll be there.”

“I appreciate it,” Ruby said. “And if you can make it that'll be great, but I know what you're dealing with at home. If you aren't able to make it, that's okay.”

Weiss nodded.

“I can be there, too,” Blake said. “Sunday, at your guys' place?”

“Yup,” Yang said. “If anyone needs a ride, I can provide one.”

“I have already gotten permission from my father to attend,” Penny said.

“Who else was invited?” Blake asked.

“Neon, Nora, Jaune, and Ren,” Ruby said. “I don't like huge parties, I figured a smaller group would be better. Plus, dad would probably have a heart attack if I tried to get, like forty people to come over.”

“It was one time!” Yang exclaimed, exhasperated. “It was just one time, and for the record, it wasn't forty, it was sixty-nine. I planned that detail very specifically.”

“You're absurd,” Weiss said.

“Yup,” Yang grinned.

“Did you actually pull that off?” Blake asked.

“Ugh,” Yang said. “There was supposed to be a total of sixty-eight guests, and then me, so sixty-nine in total, right? Ruby was with her friends, and dad wasn't home. It was gonna be perfect.”

“Did someone not show?” Blake asked.

“The opposite,” Yang said. “Someone brought a plus-one. We were this close to greatness. Honestly, it was a tragedy.”

“I'm so sorry,” Weiss said. “I hope you'll recover.”

“I hope so too,” Yang said, faking a teary, emotional voice.

“You're one of the most ridiculous people I know. How could you even fit that many people? Your house isn't that big,” Blake said.

“We have a pretty decently sized backyard,” Yang said.

“Fair,” Blake said.

“Anyway, for Ruby's birthday, it'll probably be a lot of video games and board games, if I know my sister,” Yang said.

“That's right,” Ruby said. “Nora's bringing her TV and consoles, and we're gonna have a Halo tournament.”

“I will do my best to avoid embarrassing you,” Weiss said.

“Don't worry, if we form teams, you can be on mine,” Yang said. “I'll carry you.”

Weiss choked on her milk.

“You'll what?” Weiss coughed.

“Carry you,” Yang said. “In gaming it means, basically, I'll do the heavy lifting.”

“Oh,” Weiss said, blushing in embarrassment. “You'll have to forgive my gaming inexperience.”

“I'll catch you up,” Blake said. “Although Halo isn't exactly my forte, so I may be a bit limited there.”

“You need a video game education!” Ruby exclaimed. “At some point, I'm going to get you into Overwatch. No if's, and's, or but's about it. You'd probably like Mei.”

“Ruby is uncanny at calling her friends' Overwatch mains,” Penny nodded. “She knew Echo was my favorite character from the beginning.”

“Blake... ooh, that's a tough one,” Ruby said. “Either Genji or Moira.”

“I think it's gonna stay a mystery,” Blake chuckled. “I'm not really a competitive gamer. Mario Kart stresses me out too much, I doubt Overwatch would be my game.”

“Aww,” Ruby said.

“I was also hoping we could all go to dinner,” Yang said. “Sometime this week. We don't hang out enough outside this hellhole. I'm making bank at work, I made my third bonus in a row a few days ago, so dinner's on me, what do y'all say?”

“When were you thinking?” Blake asked.

“Anytime this week, I know everyone's busy a lot, so I didn't have any specific day in mind,” Yang said.

“Wednesday would be optimal for me,” Penny said.

“Honestly, same,” Ruby said. “After theater, obviously.”

“Right, you two have theater,” Yang said.

“I actually have theater with them,” Blake explained. “I'll be their landlord in _Rent_.”

“Isn't the landlord in _Rent_ a guy?” Yang asked.

“It's a high school play, I doubt anyone will mind,” Blake said.

“I'm actually involved in the play as well, as long as my father allows it,” Weiss said.

“Really?” Ruby asked.

“Neo needed help with costume design,” Weiss said. “So Neon asked if I'd be interested. As long as my father believes I'm doing Advanced Calculus instead of Theater, I should be able to help out as well.”

“Ooh, Yang, now you gotta join!” Ruby said.

“Nah,” Yang said.

“Yang,” Ruby whined. “Please?”

“I honestly thought theater would be right up your alley,” Blake said.

“I've been too busy for theater,” Yang said.

Blake gave Yang a stern look, realizing why she was protesting the idea.

“Yang, we'll find her,” Blake said. “I promise, we'll find out what happened. You'll never get the chance to go back and make these high school memories, and I doubt she'd want you to spend your whole time here focused on research.”

Yang sighed.

“I know,” Yang said. “Okay, I'll think about auditioning for an extra role.”

“You'll have a lot of fun,” Ruby said.

“Anyway, though,” Yang said, pulling everyone back to her previous inquiry. “Dinner? Wednesday, around six?”

“I'll be there,” Blake smiled. “My parents are gonna love this.”

“I would love to attend,” Penny said.

“Obviously, I'll be there,” Ruby said.

“I... don't think I can make it,” Weiss sighed. “I'm going to sneak out for Ruby's party, but it'd probably be wise not to upset my father right before. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” Yang said. “In case something changes, we'll hold a spot for you.”

“Where are we going?” Ruby asked.

“You know that new place that opened up, next to the library by our house?” Yang asked.

“Ooh, you're talking about Amity Diner?” Ruby asked.

“Yup. They're essentially a huge variety place. Burgers, pizza, pasta, soup, salad, steak, anything that isn't American food but essentially became American food,” Yang said.

“Fun,” Blake said.

“Hey, Schnee,” Cardin said, from behind Blake. Everyone turned to see Cardin, who had been passing them. “I'm about to run that car wash for the football team, it'll be going all lunch. I need someone to hold the sign.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, standing up.

“Hang on,” Blake said, standing to face Cardin. “He's not even involved in sports.”

“Yeah, but he's, like, my intern,” Cardin said. “Meaning when grunt work needs to be done, and I don't wanna do it, and I'm not gonna make someone important do it, he does it.”

“He's busy,” Blake said.

“Doing what? Talking to all of you?” Cardin laughed.

“Blake, it's okay,” Weiss muttered.

“Weren't you not supposed to talk to these freaks anyway?” Cardin asked.

“Hey, I'm coming to help,” Weiss sighed.

“Slow me down again and I'll make sure daddy Schnee knows how you're spending your time,” Cardin said. “Let's get moving.”

As the two of them walked off, Blake couldn't help but glare at Cardin.

“You know, I will beat him up if We-Warren asks me to,” Yang said, quickly correcting herself upon remembering that Penny was within earshot.

“Ooh!” Nora said from the next table over. “We'll break his legs!”

“That probably won't help anyone in the long run,” Neon said from Nora's side.

Blake was pulled from the conversation when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She nervously took it out, and was frustrated to see that for the third time this week, she had received a message from a private number.

_'Stop ignoring me. I just want to talk. I'm not trying to hurt you or scare you. What we had was great and you know it. We can have that again if you would just talk to me.'_

Blake shuddered. She felt revulsion creep up her throat, and she was suddenly overcome with the urge to vanish from existence. 

“You okay?” Yang asked.

“You... remember the offer you made, to text Adam?” Blake asked. “Could I take you up on that?”

* * *

“Father,” Weiss said.

Jacques had been walking towards his office when Weiss had approached.

When Jacques turned to face her, it was apparent that he had little patience for her.

“What is it? Make it quick,” he said.

“I will need to stay late at school,” Weiss said, offering the papers Qrow had forged.

Jacques took them, reading over them.

“This is a step in the right direction,” he said, while skimming them. “Don't delude yourself into believing this fixes anything.”

“Believe me,” Weiss sighed, taking the papers back. “I'm fully aware there is nothing to fix.”

“Don't take that tone with me, _boy_ ,” he growled. “I've given it some thought, and until you're able to behave around me, I will be confiscating your phone.”

“I expected nothing less,” Weiss said, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Don't expect me to cry over it.”

She handed it over, and he quickly snatched it from her hands.

“Is there anything else you want from me, or do you still not understand that I'm not backing down?” Weiss asked.

“This is far from the only thing I'll take from you. There's plenty more you take for granted,” Jacques said.

“You already took away my sister,” Weiss spat. “And you destroyed everything I owned that I actually cared about. Everything you could have used to control me is already gone. You played your hand far too quickly, father.”

“Get out of my sight, I have work to do, and so do you,” Jacques said.

“Right, work,” Weiss said. “That reminds me, I'm done with your assignments.”

“Excuse me?” Jacques said, turning to face her once more. He glared at her, the vein on his forehead bulging, only emphasizing the incredulous look covering his face.

“It's been destroying my ability to sleep well,” Weiss said. “And since you have nothing left to force my hand with, I'm going to prioritize my own health.”

“Your health is just fine,” Jacques snapped.

“No, it isn't,” Weiss said. “I've been surviving on caffeine at school and even with that, I've been struggling to stay awake. Why do you think my grades are slipping?”

She wasn't surprised when his hand hit her face, despite the increased force behind it.

She staggered a bit, but recovered quickly.

“I've had enough of this insolent rebellion of yours,” Jacques snapped.

Weiss, not looking to get slapped again, didn't utter a retort, as much as she wanted to.

“Get out of my sight. If your work falls behind, I'll see to it that you face appropriate consequences.”

Weiss hurried into her room, sitting in the corner where her bed used to be.

She had put up her best shield, done everything she could to look strong to Jacques, like Winter had done just a day before.

Unfortunately, she wasn't Winter. Jacques terrified her, and he wasn't easily intimidated.

She once again didn't know how to shake the feeling that she was stuck in a hopeless scenario.

“Could I speak to you?” Whitley asked from the doorway.

Weiss turned to face him, his presence bringing a whole mix of emotions up.

She wanted to fix her relationship with him, she truly did.

At the same time, Winter was homeless, and on her own, and Whitley had been the one that pulled the trigger on that. If he hadn't told Jacques, so much would be different.

“What do you want?” Weiss sighed.

“I want to understand,” he said, taking a seat next to her. “Yesterday you got upset at how I spoke, but I don't understand-”

“Whitley,” Weiss said, frustrated. “I'm really not in the mood to explain right now, and to be honest, it doesn't matter.”

“It matters to you,” Whitley said.

“But it doesn't matter to you,” Weiss snapped. “It doesn't affect you, and you're the heir now, so it's probably best for you to keep your distance from me.”

“What makes you think I don't care about you?” Whitley asked.

“Oh, I don't know,” Weiss scoffed. “The fact that father is treating me like a prisoner because of you. Winter is homeless, because of you. You were jealous of how close I was to Winter, which maybe I could have understood, but you apparently didn't think twice before you threw us both under the bus.”

“I used the tactic father always taught us to,” Whitley argued. “What else was-”

“Oh, well, bravo!” Weiss said, standing. She started to pace in her room, irritably. “You know, I really don't understand you, Whitley. Yesterday you said with so much conviction that you didn't want to be like him, but if that's the case, why did you do just about the only thing in that situation that _he_ would have done?”

“I'm sorry!” Whitley retorted.

Weiss was waiting for an argument, something sarcastic, or passive aggressive, but none of that came.

“I'm sorry,” Whitley repeated. She could see him fighting back tears, just as she did all the time. “I made a mistake, and if I could help Winter now, I would, but I can't! The only one I can help is you, but I don't know how to do that if you don't let me.”

Weiss sighed, sitting back on the ground.

“I want to believe you,” Weiss said. “But I don't know how.”

“You're my family,” Whitley said. “That's all I wanted, was _family_. Mother is always off in the gardens or in her study, drinking. We both know Winter only ever came by for you. Father hates us all equally, but I hoped I would at least have you.”

Weiss took a deep breath, doing everything she could to calm down.

“I... I'm worried about Winter,” Weiss said. “But that's not all your fault. I'm sorry.”

“I never wanted-” Whitley began, before stopping himself. “I... wish I could say I never wanted to hurt either of you. And I'm sorry, I know that's wrong. I just... wanted you two to understand how I felt.”

“I... actually understand,” Weiss said. “You couldn't take it out on father, so you took it out on us, because you could.”

Whitley nodded.

“I'm sorry,” Whitley said. “If I could take it back, I would. I regretted it as soon as I did it.”

“You... really want to understand?” Weiss asked.

“If you're willing to explain,” Whitley said.

“I'll do my best,” Weiss said. “It's not the most accurate description, but it's complicated, so it'll have to work. In short, I... I was born wrong. I was born a boy, like you. Unlike you, though, my mind is female. I'm transgender. I experience something called dysphoria. Not every transgender person experiences it, it's... complicated. In short, I feel a lot of discomfort because my body doesn't match my mind. Imagine if when you started to go through puberty, your body started changing in ways that didn't fit right.”

“So...” Whitley said. “Like if I was developing breasts, and started getting periods?”

“Exactly,” Weiss said.

“That sounds like a nightmare,” Whitley said.

“And for me, it's like that, but the opposite,” Weiss said. “Who I am inside, and who I look like, are drastically different, and that causes me immense pain. I don't want to have this pain anymore, so I want to transition.”

“That's... like what Marigold did, right?” Whitley asked.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “Transitioning can be different from person to person, but most transitions have a few things in common. Usually it involves hormone replacement therapy, which is where I get medicine that fixes my hormone levels. In my case, it'd be taking estrogen, which would fix some of the ways my body forms. For other things, a lot of us get surgery to fix what hormones can't. In my case, it'd be facial surgery and... um... something called a vaginoplasty.”

“I think I understand what that is,” Whitley said.

“Thank god,” Weiss said, relieved. “Other parts of transitioning can include a legal name change, a lot of aspects of social transition like being recognized by the name that fits me instead of my birth name, so on, so forth.”

“So you want to grow out your hair, that's part of your transition,” Whitley said.

“Exactly,” Weiss said.

“Okay,” Whitley said. “I think that makes sense.”

“Father refuses to accept me for who I am,” Weiss sighed. “He doesn't believe my mind is actually female, he doesn't believe it's possible.”

“Is it... a mental illness?” Whitley asked, confused.

“No,” Weiss said. “No, it's not, but people used to think it was. Some still do, but it isn't considered one from a medical standpoint anymore. A few years ago, when it was considered one, it was called GID, which stood for Gender Identity Disorder.”

“Okay,” Whitley said. “Why isn't it considered one? I don't quite understand. If it isn't common, doesn't that mean-”

“The term mental illness implies that it's a condition that needs to be treated or cured,” Weiss said. “Being transgender, it isn't inherently harmful. It comes with a whole lot of pain, but it's not something in my mind that needs to be cured. My body doesn't match, and that's what needs to be fixed. There's a few other conditions that also used to be considered mental illnesses that aren't anymore, for similar reasons.”

“Okay,” Whitley said. “I think I understand now. So, Winter was helping you transition?”

“Not exactly,” Weiss said. “Or, at least I wouldn't say she was. Transitioning is a process, that hopefully doesn't stop until it's completed. Transitioning would be growing out my hair, getting on hormones, getting surgery, anything that is a permanent change for the better regarding my gender and gender expression. Winter bought me clothes, and makeup, but those can easily go away, and I always had to stop wearing them when I'd come back here. I guess some people would still see it as part of transitioning, but I don't.”

“So she was trying to make you more comfortable in your body, even if it was temporary?” Whitley asked.

“That's more accurate, yes,” Weiss said.

“I just have a few more questions,” Whitley said.

“Okay,” Weiss said.

“If Warren isn't the right name for you, then what is?” Whitley asked.

“Weiss,” she said.

Whitley nodded.

“I think I heard Winter call you that a few times,” Whitley nodded. “And when I talk about you, I should use she and her, right?”

“Yes,” Weiss said.

“What... are you going to do?” Whitley asked. “Father will never support your transition.”

“I know,” Weiss sighed. “I don't know what I'm going to do.”

“I don't have any more questions,” Whitley said. “I really am sorry. If there's anything I can do to help Winter, can you let me know?”

“I will, if I think of it,” Weiss said.

“I actually have one more question,” Whitley said. “Does anyone at your school know?”

Weiss lowered her voice, urging him to scoot closer in case anyone overheard through the open doorway.

“A few,” Weiss said. “May Marigold knows, for one.”

“May,” Whitley said. “I didn't want to use her old name, but I never heard her new one.”

“Her name is May,” Weiss confirmed. “I have a few friends, named Blake, Yang, and Ruby. They all know. And recently I told another friend, someone who is also like me. Her name is Neon. They've all been amazing.”

“So, at school, are you, like, openly Weiss?” Whitley asked.

“No,” she sighed. “As much as I'd like to be, I can't. Father would be furious.”

“Didn't you say it yourself a few minutes ago? He has nothing left to threaten you with,” Whitley said.

“Well...” Weiss began, about to make her argument, when his words truly sank in.

If she came out, what would Jacques even be able to do?

“You're... not wrong,” Weiss said.

“I need to get to my assignments,” Whitley sighed, looking at his phone.

“I thought you always got your homework done at school?” Weiss asked.

“I do,” Whitley said. “Father gave me some personal assignments, now that I'm the heir.”

Weiss' blood ran cold as the realization truly hit her.

“Be careful,” Weiss said. “Take care of yourself, okay? He won't care about your health. He won't care if the work gets to be so much that you have no time left to sleep. Please be careful.”

“I'll try,” Whitley said.

Weiss stopped him as he tried to get up.

“If you need help staying awake, ask Klein for an energy drink,” Weiss whispered. “He stocked up on them for me, but to be honest, you need them more now.”

Whitley nodded.

“Thank you, Weiss,” he said.

* * *

“Warren,” Robyn said, as Weiss grabbed her food the next morning. “A word?”

Weiss took a seat with Robyn, May, Fiona, and Joanna, awkwardly.

“Can I help you?” Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You remember what we were talking about?” Robyn asked.

“Of course,” Weiss said.

“Well, guess who just bought a brand new-ass car, about three days after the election?” May asked.

“Don't tell me,” Weiss said. “One of the vote counters.”

“His name is Hartley, he's one of the seniors,” May explained. “The other vote counter, Lily, didn't buy anything expensive... but she's been talking to her friends about a huge savings investment.”

“Let me guess,” Weiss said. “She made this investment-”

“A week after Cardin got elected,” May said. “And funny enough, apparently they both just recently became friends with him, about a month ago.”

“It backs up our thoughts, but it's not proof,” Weiss sighed.

“It's not the only thing we found,” Joanna said. “We looked at clips of Cardin's speeches, leading up to the election. The guy never seemed hugely overconfident, until right after you joined Marrow's side, but the change in his behavior was huge.”

“I'm a behavior nerd,” Fiona said. “Leading up to that point, he looked competitive, it's the same way he looks in sports. Right after you joined Marrow's side, it changed to the kinds of expressions he would have in classes where he _knew_ the answer and was happy about it.”

“Because he was competing, but when I joined Marrow, he felt truly threatened, so he fixed the election,” Weiss said. “And then he _knew_ he would win.”

“Exactly,” Robyn said. “Look, if there was any doubt, we know now for sure.”

“Right,” Weiss sighed. “But to anyone else, this will all look like speculation. None of it is definitive.”

“Which is why we came to you,” Robyn said. “Remember the favor I mentioned?”

“Yes,” Weiss said.

“We need a recording of him admitting he rigged it,” Joanna said.

“I just lost my phone, my father confiscated it,” Weiss sighed.

“Please,” Fiona scoffed. “We're all activists, you really think we'd ever get caught dead without a journalist's recorder on us?”

Robyn, who was sitting closest to Weiss, passed her a recording device under the table.

“It can record up to two hours, and it's completely clean at the moment,” May said.

“Get a recording of him confessing, and we can get him out, and as an added benefit, you won't have to work under him anymore,” Robyn said.

“That sounds lovely,” Weiss admitted.

“Just one complication,” May said. “You need to be on his good side.”

“Meaning you can't look like you're getting along with us,” Fiona said.

“He knows we've been investigating,” Robyn said. “If he thinks we're on good terms, he'll never admit anything to you.”

Without missing a beat, Joanna stood abruptly.

“Get out,” she said, loudly.

“What's the matter with you?” Robyn asked, raising her voice.

Weiss, taking the hint, stood as well.

“If you're really _that_ sensitive, I'll spend my time elsewhere,” Weiss snapped. “I've got better things to do than waste my time with any of you.”

She hoped she had sounded adequately bitchy when she was walking away, already loathing how close she had to get to her old persona. She half expected to take a seat with Melanie and Miltia, and gossip about the newest scandal within the school.

“What was that about?” Cardin asked, walking up to her.

“Robyn and her friends being who they always are,” Weiss sighed. “There's a reason I supported Marrow.”

“Huh,” Cardin said. “Didn't know you had it in you, kid. Anyway, I'm setting up equipment in the gym with Coach Theodore. Someone needs to hold the instructions, and you've clearly got nothing better to do.”

“Fine,” Weiss sighed, dumping her empty breakfast tray.

She followed Cardin into the gym, hands in her pockets, waiting to turn on the recording device.

“Winchester!” Theodore called. “Bout time, gimme a hand!”

Weiss picked up the instructions as Cardin helped Coach Theodore uninstall an old basketball hoop.

She turned on the recording device.

“I still don't understand,” Weiss said, as Cardin picked up a large screwdriver. “How did you get so many people to vote for you?”

“That's what you all never got,” Cardin said. “You're all smart in your own right, but none of you have any leadership skill. People love me, and for good reason. Not to mention, they wanted funding. I guess you just... didn't have the consistency they wanted.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Weiss asked.

“If you'd stuck with your guns, you probably could have won this thing. But you dropped out, so that told everyone you didn't really care about it. I was consistent. You weren't. Huge mistake on your part.”

Weiss could tell that as long as Theodore was here, Cardin was going to watch his words. Weiss needed Cardin alone, so that he'd drop his guard.

“He's got a point, you know,” Theodore said. “The leadership skills he has, they're unmatched. You really need to take a page out of his book. I don't think you've ever taken charge in my class.”

“P. E. has never been my strong suit,” Weiss said.

“Yeah, I heard what you had to say about our athletics,” Theodore sighed.

“Priorities,” Cardin said. “You had 'em all wrong.”

Weiss grimaced, forcing herself to endure lecturing from them both.

Several minutes passed, in which she made no real progress.

Then, finally-

“And, that's about good!” Theodore exclaimed. “Now, I need to get some paperwork done, but the aerobics room's got some old equipment that needs to be taken apart and thrown out. You boys can handle that, right?”

“You got it, sir,” Cardin said.

“Good. I've got the list right here,” Theodore said, handing Cardin a paper. “There's two elipticals, a broken scale, and a treadmill that have all fallen apart. I've got new ones shipping, they should be here by tomorrow. If y'all need more time, I can write you up a slip excusing you from first period.”

“I've got robotics with Polendina,” Cardin said.

“I have history with Oobleck,” Weiss said.

“I'll let them know you might be late,” Theodore said. “Take these.”

He passed them a toolbox, which Cardin forced Weiss to carry.

They wasted no time moving into the aerobics room.

“So that's really it, is it?” Weiss asked. “Just a more consistent campaign, that gave you a seventy-nine percent vote?”

“Well, that's not all,” Cardin said. “There's a lot more to it than that. Like I said, charisma is important. You gotta be able to entertain a crowd, and can I just say, your speeches were a bore. At least Robyn's were funny in how bad they were. Yours were just sad. Then you just threw it away. I'll admit, that was pretty funny.”

“So you won because you were entertaining?” Weiss asked.

“This is a high school, Warren. Kids like entertainment,” Cardin said.

“I just have a hard time believing that was all. My father has been educating me on election practices, and I feel like I'm missing out on something bigger than entertainment or consistency. That can't be what got you that overwhelming of a vote,” Weiss said, hoping he'd slip up soon.

“Guess you just don't know everything as well as you thought,” Cardin said.

Weiss sighed.

She kept the recording device on while they worked, but she could only press the subject so much before he would get suspicious.

This was going to be harder than she thought.

* * *

Ruby watched Penny assemble their project, a remote control drone.

“I still can't believe our projects get to be this fun,” Ruby said.

“Dad has always enjoyed this project,” Penny smiled.

“How many schools can you say run fighting robots?” Sage asked, from the next table over.

“It's probably not unheard of,” Mercury said. “Still kicks ass, though.”

Ruby looked through some of the optional parts, weighing the pros and cons.

“What does it look like everyone else is using?” Ruby asked.

“May and Fiona are painting their drone, for camoflage purposes,” Penny said. “And using a coating material that makes it harder to pick up on camera. Dew and Gwen are using lighter materials to achieve better speeds. Mercury and Sage-”

“Nuh-uh,” Sage smiled. “No spying on us.”

“Sorry,” Ruby said. “This isn't a spy-free zone.”

“Most drones will likely use standard-sized paint rounds,” Penny said. “Theirs are significantly larger, making them more likely to destroy their target, but this means they will need a larger cannon and a bigger gas canister, so their drone will be slow and easy to hit. Sky and Bertilak apparently attempted to mount a flamethrower as opposed to the paint gun, but dad refused to allow a fire hazard, and so they are instead making a modified cannon that will fire liquid paint in a torrent, like a water gun.”

“Hmm,” Ruby said. “I think I know what we should do.”

Penny raised an eyebrow.

“No one's drones have a high accuracy chance,” Ruby said. “So, we make our cannon long-range and put our work into accuracy, then snipe our enemies from far away.”

Penny smiled.

“That is a perfect plan,” Penny said.

“I'll make the gun,” Ruby said.

“You guys realize you'll get destroyed if we get close, right?” Sage said. “You rig that thing to shoot long range, you'll have a hard time hitting anything up close.”

“That's why we'll keep our distance,” Ruby said.

“And neither of us are guys,” Penny said, while screwing a propeller into the drone.

“I use 'guys' as a gender-neutral expression,” Sage said.

“It makes me uncomfortable,” Penny said.

“My bad,” Sage said.

“Well, good luck,” Mercury said. “Cause your drone probably can't take a single hit from ours.”

“With how slow that thing will move, we'll be fine,” Ruby laughed.

“Not to mention its lack of range,” Penny said. “A heavier ammunition size decreases your range. The air resistance will be far stricter.”

“This is the weirdest shit-talking I've ever heard,” May grinned. “Besides, neither of you can hit what you can't see.”

“Yeah, but it's a one trick pony,” Mercury said. “It'll be a little harder to hit your bot, but if we get past that, you've got nothing up your sleeve.”

“That you know of,” Fiona taunted.

“I'd still say we hold the advantage,” Ruby said.

“Really? Gonna snipe a ghost?” May jeered.

“You'd be surprised,” Ruby said. “My aim is legendary.”

“I'll keep that in mind if I play a videogame with you,” May said. “But this isn't Overwatch.”

“Eh, same concept,” Ruby said.

“Willing to bet your drone on it?” Fiona said. “Cause you kinda are.”

“I'd bet more than my drone,” Ruby said. “If we were allowed to, that is.”

“Bets are strictly prohibited, I'm afraid,” Mr. Polendina chuckled.

“You'd end up broke anyway,” Bertilak said. “You'll all be left in ruins by the Phoenix.”

“You named yours?” Sage scoffed.

“Ours is the Happy Huntress,” May said.

“Yeah, we're calling ours the Nuts and Dolts,” Ruby said.

“Ours is the Obscuro,” Dew said.

“Seems like you two were the only ones that never named yours,” Sky smirked.

Sage and Mercury quickly looked at each other.

“The Nevermore,” Mercury said.

“The Drake,” Sage said at the exact same time.

Ruby couldn't help but watch in amusement as they bickered over the name.

“So, you got a costume for Halloween?” Ruby asked.

“Of course,” Penny said. “Jenny, from My Life as a Teenage Robot!”

“That sounds like it'd be a tricky one to pull off,” Ruby said.

“I invested a considerable amount of time and money into it,” Penny admitted. “But I deeply enjoy cosplay, and projects along those lines. I believe I did the costume justice.”

“I can't wait to see, then,” Ruby said.

* * *

Weiss had been leaving the cafeteria, having just finished lunch, with the intention of going to the library, when Cardin stopped her.

“Hey, I need your help with something out in the parking lot,” Cardin said.

“Okay?” Weiss asked.

“Just got some new gym stuff I gotta move from my car,” Cardin said.

Weiss nodded, but something seemed off to her.

Nevertheless, she ignored her instincts, not wanting to miss another chance to get Cardin to admit he rigged the election.

Sky, Dove, and Russel were waiting by his car, as they walked.

“You needed their help, too?” Weiss asked.

“It's a big job,” Cardin said.

Weiss reached into her pocket and turned on the recording device, as they approached.

She waited for Cardin to open the door to his car, but he instead just sat on the hood of Dove's car, which was parked behind his own.

Sky stepped past Weiss, blocking her from potentially walking away, and that's when Weiss knew her instincts were right.

“What's going on?” Weiss asked.

“Oh, boy, I was wondering if it was gonna happen, you know,” Cardin said. “You really think I bought that shitty-ass act with Robyn and her cronies? How stupid did you think I am?”

Weiss sighed.

“It's probably for the best I don't answer that honestly,” Weiss said.

“You're funny,” Cardin said.

“You said to be more entertaining,” Weiss said. “I'm happy to take your advice.”

“So I've been weighing my options,” Cardin said. “I could tell my old man what you tried to pull, and make sure the word passes up to daddy Schnee. On the other hand, I could beat your ass myself.”

“For what? Asking a few questions? You're popular but you wouldn't be able to get off scot-free for that,” Weiss asked.

“Oh, that's where you're wrong, man. I've got three witnesses that will confirm that you attacked me,” Cardin said. “What was your plan? Get me to admit in the gym in front of the teacher that I rigged the election? You really think I would be that stupid? Theodore's great, but I know he wouldn't cover me if I flat out admitted to it. And your backup was, what, get me to admit it in the aerobics room? Everyone knows this school's covered in cameras. They'd pick up every word. I'm not dumb, Schnee.”

“So you did fix the vote,” Weiss said.

“Duh,” Cardin said. “You know, the reason why I wanted you as my intern, you've been such a pain in the ass. Constantly bitching me out to the teachers, that's one thing, but I had that vote, and then you just had to swoop in and join Marrow. I had it in the bag before you came in last minute to steal my whole plan.”

“Your plan?” Weiss scoffed.

Cardin stood, popping his neck.

“Duh. Buy the damn vote by making a bunch of offers,” Cardin said. “Now this, this is for thinking I'm that gullible.”

Cardin's fist slammed into the right side of her face, knocking her back.

Her face stung, and she could tell it was going to bruise. It felt like a dumbbell was dropped on her eye.

She fell to the ground, hand over her eye.

“So, what?” Weiss winced, as Sky and Dove yanked her back up. “You fixed it because Marrow was gonna win?”

“You're really not bright, are you?” Cardin asked. “You haven't put it together? Because you and that-” Cardin used the same slur Russel had, during the election, “-came in and threw my whole campaign and thousands of investment dollars down the drain, I had to improvise. Luckily, the vote counting crew was happy to accept my money, and I got the position I deserved.”

Cardin punched Weiss in the stomach.

She went limp as the wind was knocked out of her.

Her whole body ached, and spasmed for just a second, while she tried to recover.

“Now I won't take this any further, because I'm not stupid enough to get carried away,” Cardin said. “I'll make you an agreement. You drop this, you don't breathe a word of it to anyone, and I won't tell my dad what you've been up to. We can go back to you being a spineless assistant, what do you say?”

Weiss nodded, coughing.

“Good,” Cardin said. “As far as the shiner you'll be developing here soon, you fell. Got it?”

Weiss nodded again.

“Good. Get out of here,” he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been really excited to write this one, and I'm glad to get it and the next chapter out. I don't really have a whole lot to add at the moment, so stay tuned around this time tomorrow (hopefully) for the next chapter, and as usual, I appreciate any and all comments and kudos!


	24. The Ghost of Friendships Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Please read the trigger warnings for this chapter, even if you normally don't. This chapter goes to some very dark places.)  
> Weiss turns in her evidence, and finally gains a victory over Cardin. Later, she is confronted by her past, in a way she never expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for heavy discussion regarding conversion therapy, mentions to self-harm, mentions of physical injury, heavy transphobia, mentions of brainwashing and brainwashing tactics, mentions of being spied on, threatening, gaslighting, cultural insensitivity, mentions of homophobia, child abuse, misgendering and deadnaming, ableism, ableist language, neglect, alcoholism, mentions of homelessness, mentions of abandonment, mentions of being orphaned, mentions of disowning, dysphoria, specific detail to facial hair dysphoria, depression, suicidal ideation, mentions of domestic abuse, mentions of financial abuse, and brief mentions of PTSD.  
> This chapter gets pretty dark, so read with caution, please.

Weiss walked into the nurse's office, trying to ignore the aching pain in her stomach.

Nurse Grey saw her, and waved her in.

“What happened?” she asked, looking at her eye in concern.

“I fell,” Weiss lied. She had no intention of continuing to lie once the recording was made public, but for now she figured it best to stay off radar. Not to mention, any trust she had in Nurse Grey had shattered the moment Jacques explained everything.

“Weiss,” Nurse Grey said. “Black eyes like this don't happen from a fall, this was-”

“You don't have to call me that,” Weiss snapped. “You didn't believe anything else, why would you believe my name?”

Nurse grey continued to examine her eye, concerned.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I mean your report. I told you not to publish it at all, but I thought you at least believed me. Father explained it all, don't worry. A nurse submitted a report which mentioned a delusional Schnee child, who was convinced _his_ father was abusive. You made your position clear,” Weiss sighed.

Nurse Grey paused, shocked.

She closed her door and took a small device out of her pocket.

Weiss cocked her head as Nurse Grey turned on the device.

“What is that?” Weiss asked.

“It's a minor jammer,” she said. “It interferes with spyware. I had to spend an arm and a leg for it, but it's worth it.”

She turned to her purse and pulled out a file. She handed it to Weiss.

“This is the file I submitted,” she said.

Weiss opened it, reading over the file.

Confusion swirled in her mind as she read.

“He... he lied to me...” Weiss said.

_Of course he lied. How could I be so stupid?_

“Weiss, I promise I would never jeapordize you like that,” she said.

“I... should have questioned him,” Weiss said.

“And I should have listened to you,” Grey said. “There's two police officers, they're on your father's payroll. Officers Ortez and Gates, you need to be careful. They bugged my apartment, and they cornered me and threatened me. Listen, I can't make it obvious, but I'm still building a case.”

“What?” Weiss scoffed, her voice hushed. “He'll keep trying to bury you, you need to let this go!”

“I can't do that,” Nurse Grey said. “I won't abandon anyone. Now, your eye. What happened?”

Weiss sighed.

“If I tell you, I need you to promise me you won't report it. Not yet, anyway,” Weiss said.

Nurse Grey sighed.

“I'm already breaking protocol, what's a little more?” she asked. “I promise, I won't report it until you're okay with it.”

“Between you and Qrow, this school has a very unprofessional staff,” Weiss chuckled. “Not that I'm complaining. Cardin Winchester did this.”

She lifted her shirt, showing her stomach.

“He also punched me in the stomach,” Weiss said.

“Okay, I need you to lay down so I can see if there's any internal damage,” she said.

Weiss begrudgingly did so, ignoring the stinging in her abdomen.

Nurse Grey spent several minutes performing all manner of tests.

“Good news,” she said. “Looks like it's gonna bruise a bit, and it'll hurt, but it's not anything major.”

Weiss nodded.

“Thank you,” she said. “I don't suppose you can prescribe pain medicine?”

“Unfortunately, not for a bruise,” Grey said. “Please just... be careful. Can you keep a file safe?”

Weiss nodded.

“Then you should keep this,” she said, handing Weiss the medical file. “I have copies, but if your father and his men are trying this hard to bury it, you should hang onto one, too.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I'll keep it safe. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something really important to finish.”

* * *

Robyn, May, Joanna, and Fiona were in the library, when Weiss hurried up to them.

“Oh my god,” Joanna said, seeing Weiss' black eye. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” Weiss said. “I got it.”

She handed May the recording device, and May quickly played it back to make sure.

Weiss listened as Cardin's voice confessed, while occasionally stopping to assault her.

“That's a hell of a commitment to the truth,” Robyn said. “At this rate, you should join us.”

It was clear Robyn was joking, but Weiss appreciated the sentiment.

“I wouldn't exactly say no to the offer,” Weiss said. “So, is that enough?”

“That's more than enough,” May said. “I'm copying it, and then I'm gonna take it straight to the school paper.”

“I'll take a copy to Ozpin,” Robyn said. “Warren, if you can come with, it'll help.”

Weiss nodded without hesitation.

“I'm coming, too,” Joanna said. “If Cardin sees us going to Oz, there's no way he won't realize what happened. If he's gonna try anything, I wanna be there to repay him for your eye.”

Weiss smiled, blushing slightly.

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

“Don't get yourself hurt,” Fiona said.

“Please,” Joanna grinned, flexing her arm. “That pitiful excuse for a quarterback wishes he could hurt me.”

* * *

“What's this about?” Cardin scoffed, taking a seat next to Weiss. Robyn and Joanna had been asked to wait outside, as they weren't directly involved.

“Mr. Schnee just brought something rather concerning to my attention,” Ozpin sighed. “Here at Taylor High, we have a very strict policy about the honesty of our elections. It appears, however, that you violated this policy. Worse, it appears you assaulted the first student who tried to find out what really happened.”

“I wouldn't fake anything,” Cardin said. “And I didn't lay a hand on him, I've got a bunch of witnesses to back that up.”

“Who would these witnesses be, might I ask?” Ozpin asked.

“Sky Lark, Dove Bronzewing, and Russel Thrush,” Cardin said.

“I see,” Ozpin said. “So your argument is that you never did what Warren Schnee claims?”

“Obviously,” Cardin said. “Am I really going to be punished like this over his word?”

“Of course not, I won't be making any such decision without evidence,” Ozpin said. “And his word isn't what I consider to be definitive. Yours, on the other hand, is. A confession is very conclusive.”

“A confession?” Cardin scoffed.

Ozpin played the file, which had been copied to his computer at this point.

Cardin's eyes went wide as he realized his own lapse in judgement.

“He recorded me without consent, that recording holds no weight!” Cardin said.

“Students are allowed to walk around the premises with equipment provided by our journalism department,” Ozpin said. “Now, I've given the matter some thought. I think it goes without saying that you are to be immediately stripped of your position as student president, and barred from participating in student council for the rest of your time here.”

“You can't do this!” Cardin exclaimed.

“I very much can do this,” Ozpin said, calmly. “As it stands, you will be suspended for your actions, but if you continue to cause a scene, I will change this to an expulsion.”

“My family is the biggest donor to the school, you wouldn't!” Cardin said.

“I have struggled with funding before,” Ozpin said. “What I will not tolerate within my school is bullying, assault, and deception.”

Cardin sighed, and stopped arguing.

“I think two weeks will be sufficient for you to consider your future at this school,” Ozpin said. “You are to leave school property, effective immediately. We will mail you your homework, and you will have access to online lessons.”

“You'll regret this,” Cardin spat as he stood. “Both of you will. Xiao Long better follow you around like a bodyguard, Schnee.”

“Is that a threat?” Ozpin asked.

Cardin scowled.

“No, it isn't,” Cardin snapped. “You're right, I'll stay home. I have a lot to talk to my old man about.”

He made direct eye contact with Weiss as he spoke, and then he stormed out.

“Well, that was less peaceful than I would have preferred,” Ozpin said.

“Thank you for hearing me out, Principal Ozpin,” Weiss said.

“Of course,” Ozpin said, giving a sigh. “Now, I believe you have English with Mr. Lionheart, and you're late. I have several students to speak to about what just happened, if you'll excuse me.”

Weiss nodded, and stepped out of the office.

“What happened in there?” Joanna asked.

“Yeah, Cardin stormed out a minute ago, made a vague threat, and then ran off,” Robyn said.

“Sounds about right,” Weiss said. “Principal Ozpin took away his presidency, and he's been suspended for two weeks.”

“Well,” Robyn said. “How about that.”

“You'll never have to deal with him bossing you around, not after that,” Joanna grinned as they started to return to their classes.

“My father won't be happy,” Weiss sighed.

“May told me about how he treats you,” Robyn said. “Wish I could say I'm surprised.”

“I'm not his heir anymore,” Weiss said. “I'm hoping because of that, maybe he'll be more willing to let me go, like he did with my sister.”

“Look, this meant a lot to me,” Robyn said. “If you do end up getting out of his place, you can crash with us for a few days if you need.”

“Wait,” Weiss said. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Joanna said. “Wow, this reminds me of May.”

“We keep taking in strays, soon we'll need a bigger place,” Robyn said.

“So, are your parents okay with this many people staying with you?” Weiss asked.

“Oh, I got my own place,” Robyn said. “It's a bit run down, so the rent is a breeze. Three bedroom, four hundred a month. The heat doesn't work and every now and then the water comes out orange, but it's affordable to a few high schoolers, so...”

“Oh,” Weiss said.

“Thanks for the help,” Joanna said, as Weiss turned to enter the classroom.

“Anytime,” Weiss smiled.

* * *

Blake's Spanish class, in seventh period, was one of her favorites. Of all of the teachers, Maria Calavera had to be one of the most snarky and sarcastic, and she considered it a very accepting environment. Mrs. Calavera never had any patience for bullying or intolerance in her class. There had been several instances when Russel or Nebula had tried to antagonize her, only for Mrs. Calavera to immediately shut it down.

She was short, about on par with Ms. Rumpole. She wore the thickest glasses Blake had ever seen, and walked with a beautiful cane, one that she had carved herself.

“Ugh,” Russel complained, as Mrs. Calavera continued to explain the difference between Spanish and Mexican customs. “I thought we were here to learn a language, not, like, six different history lessons.”

“I'm sure the learning is painful,” May said. “But I think you'll be fine.”

“At least Cardin got to skip out on this snore fest,” Russel said.

“While it's unfortunate, what happened, I'm rather relieved,” Maria said. “Today's eighth period remedial Spanish should be more peaceful without his disruptions. I can't say the same for this period, unfortunately.”

“Aren't teachers not supposed to talk about students like that?” Russel scoffed.

“To be fair,” Maria said. “Students are supposed to avoid talking over lessons, and prioritize learning, but it looks like we're all stepping out of line a bit. That being said, I'd like to actually educate a majority of you, so unless Russel has any cultural insight to bring, which I strongly doubt, I'd like to continue-”

The P. A. let out a beep that interrupted Mrs. Calavera mid-sentence.

“Hello, students,” Ozpin's voice said.

Maria let out a string of swears in Spanish, which she hadn't managed to teach the class yet.

“I apologize for interrupting your classes, I'll keep this brief. I'm sure many of you have heard rumors at this point regarding your student president. Allow me to clear up any confusion. Due to disorderly conduct, Mr. Winchester will no longer be the president of the student government. His vice president also had to be removed, so the student council is currently without a president. A reelection will be held, with the votes being cast tomorrow morning and the morning following. Marrow Amin and Robyn Hill are the candidates currently available to vote for, with Warren Schnee as Marrow Amin's vice president, and May Marigold as Robyn Hill's vice president, as held before the election was finalized. Thank you for your time.”

The P. A. beeped once more, and then went quiet.

May and Robyn, who were seated in front of Weiss, high-fived.

“Well, that's a relief,” Maria said. “Now-”

“Aren't you supposed to be impartial?” Russel protested.

“Why?” Maria asked. “My job is to ensure a proper education for each and every one of you. With the way Cardin was running the council, he was going to run everything he could into the ground. Whether Marrow or Robyn wins now, I know students' needs will actually be considered.”

“Besides, you were thrown out of the election for homophobia, so I'd shut up about it if I were you,” May said.

“And yet your assault apparently doesn't bar you out,” Russel said.

“Different election,” May said. “Deal with it.”

“That's enough bickering,” Mrs. Calavera said. “At this rate you'll all struggle to ask where the bathroom is fluently.”

“Perdóname,” May said.

* * *

Weiss was dreading the moment when she got home, and as she approached, seeing confirmation that Jacques was here only made matters worse. She stepped into the manor, hoping she could just go straight to her room.

“When I told you that you were to aid the Winchester boy, did something get lost in translation?” Jacques barked.

She jumped.

Normally he was in his office, or in the dining room getting a glass of scotch, but this time he had been waiting near the entrance specifically for her.

“No, I understood you perfectly,” Weiss said. “You failed to account for one thing-”

“Not another word out of you,” Jacques said. “I know you've come to the conclusion that you're unstoppable, that you can do whatever you'd like and get away with it, but you miscalculated.”

“Actually, I'm surprised you're upset,” Weiss said. “With Cardin gone, I have a chance to get a vice presidential position again. Marrow is running again, and I'm still his VP. If this isn't satisfactory, though, I can happily withdraw from his campaign.”

“This isn't something a mere election can fix anymore,” Jacques snapped. “Fortunately, Mr. Winchester isn't taking this as a personal sleight on our contract. He does, however, expect that you'll retract your accusations against his son, as it is a bad look for his company.”

“I'll get right on that,” Weiss said. “Now, I believe I have a mountain of work to get to.”

“About your work,” Jacques said. “I've reconsidered. Your previous assignments can wait. I have something more important for you, after your insolence today. Something to keep you occupied until I find an appropriate boys' boarding school to send you off to.”

Weiss felt fear creep up her at that specification.

“You really resent who I am _that_ much?” Weiss argued. “You'd send me to a boys' only boarding school?”

“Oh, it's not that vague,” Jacques said. “I was going to go for a business centric one, but now I think I should prioritize. I'll be finding conservative schools, ones that will stamp this degenerate lunacy out of you.”

“You're not talking about-” Weiss said, her blood running cold. “You... you'd send me to _conversion therapy_?”

“You're clearly unwell,” Jacques said. “So, I'll be helping to correct what Winter broke.”

“Most of that is pseudoscience,” Weiss snapped. “You know that just as well as I do.”

“It accomplishes results,” Jacques said.

“It's torture,” Weiss said.

“I'm not a religious man, but in this case, I think anyone with half a brain can tell that desperate measures may be necessary,” Jacques said.

“No,” Weiss protested. “I refuse to go. For all your money, all of your power, you can't physically force me into going.”

“Maybe I can't,” Jacques said. “But I have several armed guards that can. If this is really so worrying to you, then you should improve your behavior and maybe, just maybe, if you show enough improvement, I won't deem it necessary. Until then, I have some new and improved assignments for you.”

Jacques handed Weiss a thick stack of papers.

Every single one of them had the same, repeating question.

_What is your name, and what is your sex?_

“In case it's unclear, the answer to these questions is Warren Schnee, Male,” Jacques said.

Weiss felt as if she was about to vomit.

“What do you even expect this to accomplish?” Weiss scoffed.

“A reminder,” Jacques said. “That despite your rather obnoxious insistence that your imagination somehow triumphs over reality, you're a young man and nothing will ever change that.”

Weiss wanted to tear the assignments to shreds.

“Why is it so important to you that I'm _Warren_?” Weiss spat. “Any parent that loves their kids would want them to be _happy_ , above all else.”

“That's where you're wrong, once again,” Jacques said. “It's a parent's job to take care of their child and ensure that they make the right decisions, even if the child doesn't like said decision. You're a Schnee, an elite, a prodigy. You won't throw that away over this leftist brainwashing nonsense.”

“So your response is to try to brainwash me?” Weiss retorted.

“I am educating you,” Jacques said. “I am reprimanding you. If you can't see that, then that's your mistake, not mine. Now, get. To. Work.”

Jacques turned and stormed back to his office, leaving Weiss, mortified, in the breezeway.

It was only now that she saw Willow, who had been watching from the dining room, just barely visible from here.

Weiss walked over to the dining room, hoping to find something to eat before she retreated to her room, as Klein's snacks had run out and she hadn't gotten the chance to buy more.

“Thank you for standing up for me, mom,” Weiss sighed, as she opened the cupboard.

“You know he'll be angry when he notices the missing food,” Willow said, her words heavily slurred.

“And I'm sure when that happens, I'll deal with it without any help, just like I always have,” Weiss said.

“You... need to leave,” Willow said, hiccupping partway through her sentence.

“Oh, I do?” Weiss scoffed. “I never thought of that.”

“It's not safe anymore,” she said. “Not around him.”

“I know,” Weiss said. “But I don't really have any option to leave.”

Willow didn't have anything to add, she just took a large swig of her tequila, as Weiss grabbed a box of crackers.

“Nice conversation, mom. You really came through for me, just like you always do,” Weiss said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

She made her way to her room, grateful that Jacques didn't see her sneak the food along.

She sat down on the floor, and dropped the five hundred pages worth of transphobia her father had given her, letting out a deep sigh.

She eagerly tore into her food, weighing her options.

She really didn't want to do the assignments, not as Jacques wanted.

Could she afford to disobey him right now, though?

Maybe she should just run. Robyn had offered her a place to stay, but staying with her and her girlfriends would probably put them in Jacques' path.

She stared at the assignments, feeling frustration well up in her.

If anything, she felt spiteful towards Jacques.

If her own father valued her this little, why should she do anything for him?

Wherever he sent her, surely it couldn't be harder to escape than _this_ place.

She picked up her pencil and filled out the first line.

_Weiss Schnee. Female._

And then, turning his royal test into her own affirmation, she repeated it.

Every line.

For hours.

And while he likely would be livid to see her answers, in the moment, it felt so satisfying to be able to actually put her identity in writing.

It occurred to her very quickly that she had never written her real name before.

She couldn't help but give a slight chuckle at the irony.

If he had never assigned her these, she would probably not write her name for a very long time.

In trying to force her back into the closet, he had handed her a small piece of gender euphoria.

She'd take whatever she could get.

* * *

When Weiss got into the library the next morning, despite how dark everything around her felt, she was greeted with a surprising welcome.

Coco waved her over, gesturing to an empty spot next to her, Velvet, Flynt, and Neon.

“Good morning,” Weiss said, wishing she had a second energy drink. She rubbed her eyes, absentmindedly.

“Morning,” Coco said. “Listen, about a month ago, you apologized, and to be honest, I really thought it was just a shallow cover, waiting to stab me in the back. You've really come a long way, between getting Cardin suspended and everything you've done for Penny, and May... I'll admit, I was wrong about you.”

“We've been giving it some thought, and we're willing to consider everything from before, basically water under the bridge,” Flynt said. “Not a lot of people work this hard to do better.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I really appreciate it.”

“So,” Coco said. “Neo mentioned you're in the play.”

“Yes, she wanted a costume designer that wasn't a lead actress there to help,” Weiss said.

“I didn't know costume was your thing,” Coco said.

“I've been wanting to get into fashion, to be honest,” Weiss said. “Father mainly has me stick to... well...”

Weiss gestured to her bland polo and khakis.

“No offense,” Coco said. “But your dad has the fashion sense of a dead mouse.”

“I agree,” Weiss laughed.

“If you really wanna get to know fashion, you're talking to the best people around,” Flynt said. “Coco and I, well, we're some of the best-looking people here.”

“Being gay as hell's a big part of it,” Coco joked. “But we can show you the ropes if you want.”

“I'd really appreciate that,” Weiss said.

“Alright, then meet us here at lunch,” Coco said. “We'll get you started.”

“Thank you,” Weiss smiled. “I've got a few assignments I want to go over real quick, so I'll see you at lunch.”

Coco nodded as Weiss stood, and walked towards the quiet corner of the library.

She took a seat, pulling her assignments from yesterday out. Mistakes had been more and more common in her work due to her worsening mental health, but after poking the bear last night, she figured it would be best not to add poor grades to Jacques' list of reasons to go after her.

She had just barely started to go over her biology homework when someone took a seat at her table, pulling her back to the present.

“You know, if I didn't see it for myself, I'd never believe my ears if someone told me Warren Schnee was some kind of sympathetic champion of the queer community here,” a familiar voice said.

Weiss looked up, and her eyes went wide.

She felt as if she was hallucinating.

Did she even go to this school?

“Ilia?” Weiss asked, her mouth having gone dry in shock.

“You've been working your ass off,” Ilia said. “Making amends, apologizing to everyone you've heart. But, you heard Coco, you're done with all that, right? You never missed anyone? No one _skipped your mind_?”

“I-” Weiss stammered, as the color drained from her face.

“I mean, you're pretty heroic,” Ilia said. “Stood up to Cardin, got him thrown out of his figurative office. You actually grew a spine and told Henry and the Malachites to fuck off. I wonder, though, when it comes to your conscience, do you sleep easy now? Or when you lay down, do you think of the day you and Winter just threw me out like trash? When you defend her in conversation, does that cross your mind, or is she just your perfect, flawless angel who could do no wrong? You're a decent actor, I'll give you that. You've got this whole school believing you're a progressive hero now, and I'm the only one that sees it for what it is. Just another lie you're telling the world.”

“Ilia, it's-”

“How long is it gonna be until you throw Blake away?” Ilia asked. “That's what you all do, right? Throw people out the moment they're no longer useful?”

“It wasn't like that,” Weiss said. “She didn't want to abandon you-”

“Oh, she didn't?” Ilia laughed. “That's so weird, because she still did. You're full of shit, and you know it. If she wanted to keep me around, she would have. It's actually really fucking simple.”

“You don't know the whole story,” Weiss tried to explain.

“You're still defending her? I thought you'd at least have the decency to be truthful to me. I can't believe I used to think of you two as family. Family's supposed to mean something, but I guess it doesn't to a Schnee. You have no idea what I went through after you both cut me out. I wasn't just abandoned by you, my parents died. I was passed from orphanage to orphanage, until I was eventually just thrown into the street. And for the record, a twelve year old isn't well equipped to survive without a home, but you wouldn't care about that, would you?”

“Please, just let me try to get ahold of her, and we can all just sit down and talk-” Weiss said.

“Talk about what?” Ilia scoffed. “Why I wasn't worth keeping around? I don't want to hear it from either of you. All any of you know how to do is lie anyway. You and Winter lied to me for years by calling me a friend, your father lies so much he made a goddamn career out of it, and you lie about who you are every single day.”

“What?” Weiss asked, her voice faltering. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“And there's another lie,” Ilia snapped. “I was there, remember? I was there when you were five years old. I was there when you wore makeup for the first time, when you wore a dress for the first time. Now I didn't think much about it, until we went shopping, over the years that came after. And you know what's interesting? You'd always get drawn in by the same things Winter and Ciel liked. So I started to wonder. And then, years down the line, Neon, Mercury, and May were all pretty quick to consider you a friend. So many little things that only make sense if you can see the whole picture. You lie every single time you introduce yourself as Warren. You lie in every interaction you participate in. You know it and I know it.”

Weiss wanted to vanish on the spot. She tried to argue, she tried to defend herself, but the words caught in her throat and promptly died, leaving her silent, and terrified.

“You see, they're willing to forgive you because they don't know the real reason you changed. They don't see how selfish it was, like I do. You didn't apologize because it was the right thing to do. You didn't stand up to Cardin because it was _right_. You did all of this because you want acceptance. You don't care about any of them, but you know you could never be yourself around Henry or Miltia or Melanie. So you wormed your way into the group that would accept you, once you finally came out. Don't misunderstand me. I know you're a despicable excuse for a person, but it has nothing to do with your gender identity. I don't hate you because you're trans. I hate you because you're a liar, because you manipulate people, and use people, until they're no longer useful to you. You may be different from him politically, but you're still just like your father.”

Weiss tried to find the will to speak, but it wouldn't come.

“Well?” Ilia asked. “I wanna hear you say it. I wanna hear you tell the truth, for once. I was left barren, and exposed by your family. Why the hell should you be left any different?”

“Okay,” Weiss said. “I'm transgender. And my name is Weiss.”

“And here I thought you'd burst into flame if you ever had to tell the truth,” Ilia snapped.

“Ilia,” Weiss stammered. “I know I hurt you, and I do want to fix it. I've felt guilty ever since it happened, I was never okay with what happened to you.”

“Stop,” Ilia said. “I don't want to hear another lie from you.”

“I'm not lying,” Weiss said. “I promise.”

“Of course you are!” Ilia spat. “If you weren't okay with it, you would have done something. It wasn't just Winter that outcast me, you made no effort to talk to me afterwards. I tried to talk to you and you _ignored_ me. And you know what the most ironic part was? I was the only person around that would have accepted you, instantly, without any hesitation. I wouldn't have cared what it meant for my image. I wouldn't be embarrassed to be around you, I wouldn't hate you for it, I would have been an amazing friend, because that's what you were to me, a _friend!_ You were practically family to me. But you would never show that same degree of love and care to me.”

“I was scared,” Weiss said. “I was afraid of what my father, of what my sister would do to me, say to me if they knew who I was. I hated myself for participating in what happened, Ilia. I wanted to fix this, to make up for it. I've missed you since the day we pushed you away.”

“If you wanted to fix this then why didn't you? It's been years,” Ilia retorted.

“I...” Weiss struggled. “I felt guilty. And I know I deserved the guilt, I'm not about to argue that I didn't. I felt guilty, and didn't even know what I would say. How am I even supposed to look you in the eye after what I did? I want to make this right, Ilia, but I have no clue how.”

Ilia folded her arms.

“You can't _make this right_ ,” she said. “My life has gone to shit. For years, I've been living off of scraps. I've been trying to survive on my own, and the people that used to be my family are now strangers at best. Winter _bullied_ me for years after I came out. This isn't something you can just take back.”

“I know I can't,” Weiss said. “But I can try to arrange for you to talk to her. I can tell you're angry, and I don't blame you. You're angry at me, and you're angry at Winter. You deserve to be able to ask her why, and I can try to give you that. I can't take it back, but I can give you closure. I can try to help you heal. I know you've been through hell, and as much as I wish I could change how things went, I can't. So let me help you in the ways I still can.”

Ilia looked down at her hands, considering her words.

“What, you think we'll talk it out and go back to being best friends?” Ilia scoffed.

“No,” Weiss said. “But if you really want to, and if you accept her apology and her reasoning, then maybe you can start to fix the damage that was caused. I think you, Ciel, and Winter could be friends again, if you're all willing to work for it. And if that's not something you're okay with, then that's your decision and I won't take that from you. I just want to give you a solution, and that's the best I can come up with. I'm sorry I don't have a better idea.”

Ilia sighed.

“I... I'll think about it,” Ilia said.

“I really am sorry,” Weiss said. “I know I hurt you, and I'll do whatever I can to help you now, okay? Just say the word and I'm there.”

Ilia didn't seem to know how to respond.

She waited several seconds, before she stood.

“You're... different than I remember you,” Ilia said. “This doesn't fix anything between us... but maybe it can get us to a decent starting point.”

* * *

“Hey, are you alright?” Blake asked, as Weiss walked at her side. They had just finished their theater practice for the day, and as a result, had missed the bus. The school was only about forty-five minutes away from their houses, as a walk, so Weiss didn't mind.

“Ugh,” Weiss said. “My father's been getting worse. I... didn't want to talk about it this morning, and I don't want to talk about it now either, to be honest. And on top of that, today's just been... a lot.”

“What happened?” Blake asked.

“Throughout classes, Melanie, Miltia, and Henry were being about as awful as they usually are,” Weiss sighed. “And this morning, I was confronted by someone from a long time ago, someone I really hurt. I didn't even realize she went to this school, but apparently she does. I also think she knows you, she mentioned you.”

“Wait,” Blake said. “Ilia?”

Weiss nodded.

“Ilia's my ex, and she's one of my best friends,” Blake said. “I can't believe she'd confront you like that without talking to me about it.”

“To be fair, her anger goes a long way back,” Weiss sighed. “I trust you know what Winter and I did to her?”

“I do,” Blake said, looking down. “I'd been hoping it wasn't as bad as Ilia said.”

“It's exactly what she said,” Weiss said. “She opened her heart to us both, and we cut her off. I didn't really talk to her much after that, I actually made a point of avoiding her. Winter was worse, from what I could tell, she treated her similar to how I treated people like May.”

“Listen,” Blake said. “You should know, I think she knows... about you.”

“She does,” Weiss said. “From what I could tell, she figured it out herself.”

“She did,” Blake said. “What did she say to you?”

“Mainly she just kind of vented her anger at me,” Weiss said. “She explained to me how much I had hurt her. I don't blame her for any of it. I'm going to try to get her, Winter, Ciel, and I a chance to sit down and talk, and hopefully we can try to heal some of the pain we caused her.”

“That's great,” Blake said.

“Blake, you don't have to sugarcoat anything,” Weiss said. “It sounds like you and Ilia are really close. If someone treated you or Yang how I treated Ilia, I would be upset. I can take it.”

Blake sighed.

“I'm not... angry,” Blake said. “I know it wasn't something you wanted to do, I understand why you did it. I just... also saw what it did to her. She's bitter, and angry, and she almost never makes friends. I didn't make friends because of circumstance, because I was never around people like me. Ilia, she doesn't make friends because she pushes everyone away. She doesn't trust anyone, almost ever.”

“I understand,” Weiss said. “And I'm going to do everything I can to fix this, okay?”

Blake nodded.

“I was raised to have really strong moral beliefs, but it feels like everything I've learned is conflicting itself,” Blake said. “I feel like I'm supposed to do something, to help Ilia, but you're already doing what you can to help and it's clear that you understand it wasn't okay. It's also been years.”

Weiss didn't say anything, she stayed quiet, giving Blake the opportunity to talk.

“I want to step in, but-” Blake said. She stopped, frustrated. She could scold Weiss for her actions, which seemed unfair and pointless. It would accomplish nothing other than making her feel more guilty over something she can't change and was already doing anything she could to undo, or she could do nothing, which felt like a slap in the face to Ilia.

No matter what she did, she felt like she was doing something wrong.

“I just don't know what to do,” Blake said.

“You're the most morally driven person I've ever met,” Weiss said. “No matter what you do, I'm pretty sure you have a good reason for it. If you need to distance yourself from me, I won't blame you for it.”

“No,” Blake interjected. “That's not what I want to do, and that feels wrong. I don't want to abandon you to the hell you're stuck in. I just don't want to abandon Ilia either.”

“It's not a black and white choice,” Weiss offered. “No one's asking you to choose between me and her. At least, as far as I'm aware.”

“She doesn't want that either,” Blake said. “She mentioned that she doesn't exactly approve, but she isn't upset at me for being your friend.”

“Then there's a third option,” Weiss said. “Support Ilia, be there for her, and help her through this. It's going to be stressful, seeing Winter again. There's going to be a lot of intense emotions, and Ilia is really going to need a close friend. And you can also be there as a neutral party. If I cross a line, I know you have no issue pointing it out to me. If that happens, I'll do my best to fix it. If I don't, you have my full permission to scold me.”

Blake couldn't help but smile, and once again she felt her stress lift off a bit.

“Thanks,” Blake said. “You really have come a long way, you know.”

It was Weiss' turn to smile.

“You were the one that pushed me to do it,” Weiss said.

“Wait,” Blake said. “Me?”

“I've always hated how I treated people, but I never felt brave enough to do better. Then I met you. You're such a good person, in everything you do. You inspired me. There's a reason I finally turned myself around when you came into the picture, and not a minute before. If you were in my shoes, you'd do the right thing, even if it was dangerous. That's the kind of person I want to be.”

Blake felt overwhelmed by praise, she hadn't realized that she had that strong of an effect on her.

“One last thing, about Ilia,” Weiss said. “When we all meet, I need you to be Ilia's friend first, mine second, okay? Winter, Ciel, and I all have each other, Ilia will really need a friend that... well... never bullied her or ignored her.”

Blake hesitated, as Weiss' words sank in.

“Are you sure?” Blake asked. “If things get hostile-”

“If things get hostile then Ilia will very quickly be outnumbered,” Weiss said. “I hope it doesn't become an argument, and I don't think it will, but if it does, I don't need someone to stand up for me. Ilia does.”

“Okay,” Blake said. “If you're sure.”

“I am,” Weiss said. “I promise.” 

* * *

When Weiss walked up to Schnee manor, she only had one thing to console her, one thing to give her strength.

She felt good about her recent actions. She felt like she was finally doing the right thing with Ilia, even if she was putting herself in harm's way.

It would have to be enough, because she knew Jacques would be an absolute nightmare after what she had done the previous night.

She stepped into the house, trying to ignore the fear that crept up her neck as she approached her room.

And as she walked, her father's office door opened.

 _Hazel, you insufferable prick_ , Weiss thought to herself. _Could I get home without you notifying father, just for once?_

“Take a seat in my office,” Jacques said.

Weiss took a deep breath, readying herself for whatever hell he was about to drop onto her.

She stepped in, and sat down.

Jacques was quiet as he returned to his seat.

Her assignments were already waiting on his desk.

She could see the fury all over his face.

“I suppose you think that this was funny,” Jacques said.

“I assure you,” Weiss said. “Nothing about this situation amuses me.”

Jacques folded his hands in front of him.

“I'm growing tired of reiterating my point,” Jacques said.

“It doesn't matter how many times you say it,” Weiss said. “I'm not your son and I'm never going to pretend to be ever again. At this point the best thing you can do for us both is to just get rid of me, like you got rid of Winter.”

“Winter was different,” Jacques said. “I've made peace with her failures. She no longer had anything to contribute to this family, to this company. You, on the other hand, are in a different position.”

“Really? What are you hoping to get out of me?” Weiss scoffed.

“Whitley will be the CEO of the company, due to your... shortcomings... but you could still make a strong ally of his. If you just evolve past all of... this... we'll all be better for it,” Jacques said. “It's the best future you're ever going to get.”

“That isn't _my_ future,” Weiss said. “It isn't my life, and I'll never accept it as such.”

“Yes, I'm aware,” Jacques said. “You've made your position quite clear, which is why I've been forced to take further measures. The haircut we discussed, it _will_ happen.”

“And what makes you think I'll agree to that?” Weiss asked.

“I've hired a hairdresser,” Jacques explained. “He will be coming by every few days to ensure that your hair meets my standards.”

“Every few days?” Weiss scoffed. “Isn't that a bit excessive?”

“I wasn't done,” Jacques said. “Within a few days, you'll be practically begging to get your hair cut. You see, I've thrown out your razors. My new employee will manage your facial hair as well, and in the ways that I approve. It's about time you take after me in that regard.”

Weiss' eyes went wide in horror. Just the image of her hair, fresh cut, and her face buried under a moustache like his... she wanted to vomit. She already wanted to claw it all away, and it hadn't even happened yet.

“You-”

“Did what was necessary. I did what you forced me to,” Jacques said.

Weiss couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't stomach being around him even a second longer.

She stood, readying herself to leave.

“You aren't dismissed,” Jacques said.

“What else do you have to say, then?” Weiss asked, fighting down the bile in her throat. Tears stung at her eyes. She was livid, she was mortified, she was a mixture of volatile emotions she was struggling with every fiber of her being to control.

“Oh, nothing, for now,” Jacques said. “But you are a child. You will ask to be dismissed. And then, you will return to your room and work on your assignments. _Correctly_ , this time.”

Weiss sat back down, trying to regain control of her feelings.

“There is nothing about me that you need to fix,” Weiss said, her voice shaky and unsteady.

“That's where you're wrong,” Jacques sighed. “You're not well, Warren. You need to realize that I'm doing this out of lo-”

“May I be dismissed?” Weiss said, quickly. She couldn't bear to hear him say it. If he had finished his sentence, she knew every emotion she was trying to bottle up would burst out. She couldn't take even a single more lie from him.

“Yes, you may,” Jacques said.

Weiss quickly stood and walked out, closing his office door behind her.

She rushed into her room, trying to hold everything back long enough for-

_No._

_No, no, please no._

While Jacques had probably been thinking of her shaving, rather than what she intended, the point was the same.

_He had taken her scissors, too._

The _one_ thing she had control over, it was gone, too.

She paced back and forth, as she finally fell apart.

Messy tears sprang forth from her, uncontrollably. She leaned against her window, feeling envy build up within her.

A whole world, outside of her reach. Locked away on the other side of that damn wall.

Sometimes, when she cried, it was quiet.

This was different. This was ugly. Her tears were violent, each sob strained her voice.

She knew for a fact that Klein had been driving Whitley around, so neither of them would be here to comfort her.

Blake, Yang, May, Neon, Whitley, Klein, she had made so many close friends and family. She would give anything to have any one of them here with her.

To have Blake here, to offer her words, her empathy, the things Weiss loved-

Loved?

Did she-

Weiss shut out the thought. She had no clue how she felt about Blake, and she didn't need something as complicated as emotional confusion making everything worse.

She buried the thought and tried to move on.

She instead thought to Yang.

If Yang were here, she would be holding her.

One of those amazing embraces, she had seen Yang give Blake and Ruby so many times before...

She at least hoped Yang would be willing to share that with her, too.

No one hugged Weiss, ever. Winter had been a surprising exception, but for the most part, physical affection was something Weiss had never received.

But she knew she would give an arm for the chance to feel Yang's arms around her.

Or anyone's...

Her confusion worsened as she questioned her thoughts.

Why did she keep coming back to Yang?

Did she have feelings for Blake? Or did she have feelings for Yang?

She knew somewhere in that mess of emotions she had been feeling herself yearning for something closer than friendship, or at least... she thought she did?

Maybe she was just a lonely person. Maybe she just wanted friendship, and years of loneliness and neglect had created a void no affection could ever fill.

Maybe she was unloveable.

Maybe it was hopeless.

Maybe-

She slid down the wall, burying her face in her hands.

It was too much. She didn't understand any of her emotions, any of her wants or needs, she knew nothing of how to make heads or tails of any of it.

All she knew was that even if she did want something more, she wouldn't have a chance. She had a few months at best until Jacques whisked her away to some hellhole that would make every aspect of her personality into self-hatred.

“Weiss,” a voice said, snapping her out of her spiral.

Weiss couldn't believe her ears.

She looked up, wiping her eyes.

 _Willow Schnee_ had stepped into her room.

“Mom?” Weiss asked.

Willow sat down a few feet away from her.

“What are you doing in here?” Weiss asked, trying to stop crying long enough to try to convince her everything was fine, an attempt that was failing miserably.

“What I should have done a long time ago,” she sighed. “Being here for you. What's wrong?”

Weiss didn't know where to start.

“I guess that was a silly question,” Willow said. “It's pretty clear.”

“He is trying so hard to change me, to make me something I don't ever want to be,” Weiss said. “And I don't know what to do.”

“What do you want to do?” Willow asked.

“I... I want to leave,” Weiss said. “But he would find me.”

“I don't mean overall,” Willow said. “What do you want to do right now?”

“I... I want to see my friends,” Weiss said. “I miss them. And I really need them right now.”

“Then you should go see them,” Willow said.

Weiss blinked.

“I don't know if you've noticed, but father doesn't want me leaving,” Weiss said. “And he has a whole security team and a brick wall to stop me.”

“I... I wish I could call them off,” Willow said.

“Why can't you? Shouldn't you have control over them, not him?” Weiss asked.

Willow laughed.

“I should have, yes,” Willow said. “When I married Jacques, he used his lawyers to get a legal right to half of the company and its wealth. I wish it stopped there, but... it didn't.”

“I knew he had half the company,” Weiss said. “But what do you mean by that?”

“When Winter started to become a teenager, that's when Jacques started to treat her with the same hatred he showed me. I tried to stop him, but I never could. You were about to turn ten years old, Winter was thirteen, and his patience with all three of you was growing shorter. And then he offered me a deal. He said he would stop, if I signed over more of the company.”

“So you gave him your half?” Weiss asked.

“Of course I did,” Willow said. “His lawyers were unstoppable, I didn't know how else to get control of him, so I did the only thing I could. I did what he wanted and prayed he would hold up his end. We saw how that went, and around the same time, he finally admitted-”

Weiss flinched at the memory.

“That he only married you for the company,” Weiss said. “I remember.”

“And here we are now, left in the ruinous aftermath of my shortsighted hope that maybe the man I thought I loved was real, that it hadn't been a fabrication of... that,” Willow said, bitterly. “I can't stop him. I wish I could. I can't call off his men, but I may be able to distract them.”

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Weiss asked.

At this point she had finally stopped crying, and was starting to regain her composure.

“I can ask for Hazel and one of our other guards to help me move something in the garage, I've done it before when something is too heavy for me,” she said. “That should give you a window to get to the wall and climb over.”

Weiss nodded.

“But father... he will be furious,” Weiss said.

Willow sighed.

“Yes, he will,” Willow said. “I... I can try to stop him from doing anything too extreme.”

“No,” Weiss said. “He'll be angry... but there isn't much more he can do to me at this point. I'll risk it for a night away from him.”

“I'll at least make sure he doesn't send the police after you,” Willow said.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “Could I ask for one more favor?”

Willow nodded.

“Could I borrow your phone?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a heads up in general, while there is some upcoming fluff and there are some positive moments in the near future, the story is going to touch on some dark topics, in the next chapters, and full disclosure, there are some dark topics that will come up down the line that aren't completely relevant yet.   
> If anyone needs to step away from this story, I will completely understand. Angst and hurt/comfort is my genre, I find it really cathartic and it lets me work through my own trauma, and just a lot of the dark places I've been in throughout my life, but I also understand that everyone is different and what is cathartic to me could be triggering or hurtful to some of you.   
> There's absolutely no shame in stepping away if you need to.   
> I do like eventual happy endings, and I don't believe in grimdark. This fanfic will go to really dark places but I find it more as an embodiment of "it's always darkest just before the dawn"  
> Now that that's all been said, thank you for reading this chapter. My editor will be going over the next chapter here soon, it's already done being written, so I'll be publishing it as soon as she gives me the green light. 
> 
> On a much brighter note, I consider Chrysalis a continuity, not a single story. Chrysalis, this story, is the central focus, but I have plans for several side stories, for anyone who may want them. I'm currently putting together shorter fics centered around Emerald and Mercury, Ilia and Ciel and Winter, Robyn and her Happy Huntresses, Neon and Flynt, as well as a few other side fics. If anyone would be interested in these, let me know and I'll bump them a bit higher on my priority list.


	25. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Penny have a Girls' Night Out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for references to child abuse and domestic abuse, mentions of transphobia, mentions of conversion therapy, depression, suicidal ideation, references to alcohol, crude humor, dysphoria, mentions of slut-shaming, mentions of biphobia, mentions of panphobia, mentions of ableism, mentions of racism, and very brief mentions of sexual assault (in reference to a movie).
> 
> Mostly fluff.

Weiss waited as the line rang. A few seconds passed, then-

“Hello?” a voice said.

“Yang, have you picked up Blake yet?” Weiss asked.

“Almost, I'm heading down to her place right now,” Yang said.

“Is it too late for me to join you?” Weiss asked.

“Are you kidding?” Yang asked, and Weiss could practically _hear_ her grin. “You mind squeezing in with Ruby and Penny in the back?”

“I think I could be okay with that,” Weiss said.

“Where should I pick you up?” Yang asked.

“Have Blake show you the bus stop,” Weiss said. “I'll be there in about fifteen minutes.”

“See you soon,” Yang said.

Weiss hung up and handed the phone back to Willow.

“Be safe, Weiss,” Willow said.

“I will-” Weiss said, before she stopped. “Wait, I don't think I ever told you my name.”

“Winter mentioned it,” Willow said.

Weiss felt like there was something being unsaid, but she didn't have time to press the matter.

Willow stepped out, and a few seconds later, she saw Hazel and one of the other guards check their devices, then start walking over to the garage.

She checked behind her one more time, making sure Jacques hadn't left his office, then she opened her window.

She quickly popped out the bugscreen, and climbed through. She took care to close her window from the other side, and replace the screen, then she looked around.

She probably had about a minute before a guard walked by, so she had to be quick.

She sprinted across the yard, grateful that her father hadn't invested in electrifying his wall. She approached one of the sculptures Jacques had comissioned, a stone statue of a knight from a chessboard. It was about four feet tall, and the perfect height to boost her over the wall.

 _I can't believe it. Theodore's P. E. classes actually came in handy_ , Weiss thought to herself, as she landed on the other side of the wall.

* * *

Yang's orange-yellow Volkswagen Beetle pulled to a stop, in front of Weiss. Yang and Blake were already inside, but it appeared that Penny and Ruby had yet to be picked up.

Weiss opened the door and sat behind Blake, trying not to let herself feel overwhelmed by how much she had missed the two of them after just an hour away from them.

“Weiss?” Yang asked, her face falling the moment she saw her. “What's wrong?”

“What do you mean?” Weiss asked.

“Weiss, your eyes are red, and you look awful,” Blake said. Both of them were turned in their seats, with very similar expressions of worry.

“My father,” Weiss said. “Just more of his usual awful behavior, but we don't have to talk about-”

“Hey,” Yang said. “Don't do that. Don't just brush it off. We're your friends. You can talk to us.”

“It's okay,” Blake said, before climbing back, awkwardly, to sit by Weiss. “You don't have to bottle it all up.”

 _Damn it_ , Weiss thought to herself, as tears began to well up _again_.

“He...” Weiss stammered. “He's been trying to force me to get my hair cut, and today he threw away all of my razors. I can't shave until I let his employee... cut my hair...”

“What a fucking asshole,” Yang said, folding her arms. “What's his problem?”

“He never should have been in charge of the well-being of anyone,” Blake said bitterly. “It'll be okay, we can help.”

“How?” Weiss asked.

“I'll buy you razors and shaving cream,” Yang said. “You can shave at school, no one uses the locker rooms in the morning before classes.”

“That... that's actually not a bad idea,” Weiss said. “I'd pay you back, I-”

“Don't you dare,” Yang said. “Razors and cream are dirt cheap, just let someone help you for once, okay?”

Weiss nodded, reluctantly.

“Okay,” Weiss said. “Thank you, Yang.”

Despite that victory, something else still weighed on her, and she didn't know if she could actually feel better until she got it off her chest.

“That's... not all,” Weiss said. “Yesterday, he was really upset with me, after everything I did to get Cardin thrown out of the council. He...”

Weiss tried to force herself to say it, but it wasn't coming out.

“It's okay,” Yang reassured her. “You're safe here. You're safe with us.”

“Yeah,” Blake said. “We've got your back. We would never let anything happen to you.”

Weiss took another shaky breath.

Then...

“He's looking for a boy's only boarding school,” Weiss said. “A conservative-run one. One that... specializes in conversion therapy.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the dam holding her tears back shattered to pieces.

“Oh my god,” Blake said, her voice hollow, mortified.

Yang's expression immediately changed, Weiss knew it very well. Yang was livid.

“No,” Yang said. “Weiss, listen to me. I will never let that happen. I don't care if we need to pluck you away and have you live with us.”

“I'm so sorry, Weiss,” Blake said. “Yang's right, we aren't gonna abandon you.”

Blake held out her arms.

“Could I hug you?” Blake asked.

Weiss felt surprise take hold, she couldn't believe it. Just a half an hour ago this was just a fleeting daydream to comfort her, and now...

“Okay,” Weiss said.

Blake scooted forward and pulled Weiss in. Weiss' chin rested on Blake's shoulder. Blake's arms wrapped around Weiss' back, supporting her.

Weiss reciprocated the motion, and quickly found herself clinging on for dear life.

“We aren't going to abandon you, I promise,” Blake said. “I don't know how yet, but I promise you it's going to be okay.”

“Yeah, I'll kick his ass if I need to,” Yang said. “There is nothing wrong with you. You're beautiful exactly as you are, and if he can't accept that, if he refuses to love his daughter, then he's the one that needs to change, not you.”

Weiss couldn't form words. All she could do was sob as Blake held her, and desperately wish this moment would never end.

After this, the thought of going back to Jacques sounded like something worse than her worst nightmare. Hell itself sounded preferable.

Whatever her confusing emotions meant, she knew one thing for sure. She felt safe around Blake and Yang, safer than she had ever felt before, and she desperately wanted to stay there.

“Thank you,” Weiss said, once she finally calmed down again.

Blake's hold on her finally loosened, and Weiss let go, wishing she could stay in that embrace for just another minute.

“Of course,” Blake said. “You're our friend. Hell, you're our best friend. Like it of not, you're stuck with us now.”

“I...” Weiss said, trying to figure out how to word her thoughts. “I don't understand... you all deserve far better than me, I-”

“Nuh-uh,” Yang said. “None of that. No matter how bad your self image is, it doesn't change a basic fact, Weiss. We _want_ to be friends with you. If we wanted someone else instead, well, it would be them in the car right now, not you. We chose you, and neither of us are about to change our minds. Deal with it.”

Weiss couldn't help but laugh. Yang's words somehow always cheered her up.

“I really appreciate all of this,” Weiss said. “But could we get out of this area? I feel like father's going to drive up any minute.”

“You got it,” Yang said. “Blake, you wanna hop back up, or stay back?”

“I think I'm gonna stay back here. We both know Ruby would be pissed if I took shotgun anyway,” Blake said, jokingly.

“You're not wrong,” Yang said. “Let's go grab those knuckleheads, I'm starving.”

* * *

“So, what did you say they serve here?” Weiss asked, as they all took their seats. Ruby and Penny sat on one side of their booth, Weiss and Blake at the other, with Yang having pulled over a chair.

“Pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fish, steak, pasta, chicken,” Yang said.

“It's the perfect place for me!” Ruby said. “They have so much options for pizza.”

“How are you as healthy as you are?” Blake scoffed.

“An absurd amount of exercise, and a hyperactive metabolism,” Ruby said. “Plus, I also eat healthy. I don't believe in dieting.”

Before Ruby could say more, a familiar man, about their age, walked over.

“Yatsu,” Yang greeted. “I forgot you worked here.”

“It's more relaxing than you'd think,” Yatsuhashi said. “Sun works here, too.”

“Really?” Blake asked. “What position is he?”

“He's a busboy, probably the best one we've got,” Yatsuhashi said. “Can I get you all started on drinks?”

“Yeah, could I get a mountain dew?” Ruby asked. Yatsuhashi quickly wrote down her drink, before turning to Blake.

“I'll take an iced tea,” Blake said.

“I would like coffee, please,” Weiss said.

“Can I have a water, without ice, please?” Penny asked. Yatsuhashi nodded, continuing to scrawl their orders.

“Strawberry sunrise, no ice,” Yang said.

Yatsuhashi raised an eyebrow.

“You're not old enough for that,” Yatsuhashi said.

“Virgin, of course,” Yang said.

Yatsuhashi rolled his eyes.

“Come on, can't blame a girl for trying,” Yang laughed.

“I'll be back with those in a few minutes, unless you already know what you'd like to eat,” he said.

“I do,” Blake said.

“As do I,” Weiss said.

“Yup,” Ruby said.

“I am in agreement,” Penny said.

“Looks like we're ready now,” Yang said. Yatsuhashi nodded, taking his note back out. “For me, a bacon burger, with ketchup, and no tomatoes. Steak fries on the side.”

“How would you like your burger?” Yatsuhashi asked.

“Medium,” Yang said.

“I'll take a personal pizza with pepperoni, olives, pineapple, peppers, and mushrooms, with garlic rolls on the side,” Ruby said.

Yatsuhashi smirked as he wrote her order.

“Somehow, I'm not surprised,” he said.

“Are you sure you're alright with-” Weiss asked.

“It's like seven bucks, yes, I'm sure,” Yang said.

“Alright,” Weiss said. “I would like the grilled chicken with mashed potatoes as the side, please.”

“I would like spaghetti with meatballs, please,” Penny said.

“And I'll take the salmon,” Blake said. “Side of rice.”

“Alright, that'll be out in a bit. I'll be right back with the drinks,” Yatsuhashi said.

“So,” Yang said. “Someone was interested in Sun. Any chance you wanna... bathe in the Sun?”

Ruby groaned.

“That was the worst pun I've ever heard,” Blake said. “Like... actually physically painful. And no, Sun and Neptune seem pretty happy together, and I'm just... not into him like that.”

“At least give me the joke,” Yang said.

“No,” Blake said.

“It wasn't very good,” Weiss said.

“You've done way better,” Ruby chimed in.

“I do not tell puns and I could do better,” Penny said.

“Wow, we all came for the food but now I'm what gets roasted,” Yang said. “Y'all are bummers today.”

“Tell better jokes,” Weiss said unapologetically.

“Touche,” Yang said.

“So, I was wondering,” Ruby said. “Wanna come hang after we're done eating? It's been so boring back at the house, and I've been wanting to have friends over.”

“Same,” Yang said.

“You're sure your dad would be alright with three people coming over with no warning?” Blake asked.

“We do this all the time,” Yang said. “Y'all could probably stay the night over and he'd be cool with it.”

Weiss debated with herself. Jacques certainly knew she was gone by now. If she went back home after this meal, he would be upset, but things would be so much worse if she waited until tomorrow.

And yet... she was terrified to go home. She never wanted to go near that place ever again, and maybe she couldn't fulfil that wish, but she could get a night away.

She could get a full night of sleep again.

She could be happy.

She really wanted to, for herself.

But despite how much she wanted to she knew she couldn't. Her father's control over her was-

“I'd love to,” Weiss said.

“Really?” Ruby asked.

“Are you sure?” Blake asked.

 _Wait, what did I say?_ Weiss asked herself. _Did I just..._

_No. I want this. This is something I want, for my own happiness._

_I'm done living by his rules. He didn't just hurt me, he hurt Winter, he hurt Whitley, he hurt mom, and I'm done being his pawn._

“Yes, I'm sure,” Weiss said.

“I know you want to,” Yang said. “And I'm in full support... but will this upset your father further?”

“Who cares?” Weiss sighed. “I'm so tired of belonging to him. The only person I should belong to is _me_. I've been trying to compromise with him for months now, and I've had enough. He doesn't accept me for who I am.”

“Uh,” Ruby said, nervously.

“He constantly teaches me to hate myself, and to reject the only parts of myself that I like,” Weiss said.

“Penny doesn't kn-”

“I've been his perfect son for years when the only thing that I wanted was to be his daughter, and if he can't accept that then that's fine by me. I don't need his permission. I'm done being Warren. I mean it. Every day, going by that name has felt like a poison, killing me.”

The whole table went quiet.

“Um... Weiss?” Ruby asked. “You hadn't told Penny you were trans yet.”

Weiss' eyes widened in realization.

“Right,” Weiss said. “I'm sorry, Penny, I should have told you first, I-”

“You are like me,” Penny said, her eyes wide.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “I am.”

Penny cocked her head.

“I am confused. If you are trans, why did you-”

“Bully trans students?” Weiss asked, her heart sinking.

Penny nodded.

“To make my father happy,” Weiss said. “And to keep anyone from figuring out who I was. And I'm so sorry, Penny. You got caught in that, and that wasn't fair.”

“I forgave you, a while ago,” Penny said. “But I appreciate your honesty today. I did not process your name, when Ruby said it. Would you mind repeating it?”

“Weiss,” Weiss said. “And I use she/her pronouns.”

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” Penny smiled.

“Weiss,” Blake said. “Did you mean it, when you said you were done being Warren?”

Weiss took a deep breath, making sure she wasn't making a rash decision.

“Yes,” Weiss said. “I'm sure. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to come out. At school.”

“Right,” Yang said. “And listen, we support you, a hundred percent. I'm just worried, your dad, he seems like he'd really lash out at you for this.”

“I'm past caring,” Weiss said. “What's he going to do, hit me? He does that almost every day. He's done everything he possibly could, and it got to the point that he's obviously getting desperate. With what he did yesterday...”

“Wait,” Ruby interrupted. “What did he do yesterday?”

Weiss looked down.

“Not here,” Weiss said. “I'll explain later, I can't here. My point is, he's already pushing for that, as hard as he can. So what's he gonna do if I come out? There's nothing left for him _to_ do. And I'm so tired of hiding. I want to be seen for who I really am.”

Weiss felt a surge of pride, feeling strength in standing up for herself.

She could practically hear Winter telling her she was proud of-

_Oh. Winter._

_I hope she's okay._

“Then we're all here for you,” Blake said. “And we'll be here for you when you do it.”

“There will be backlash,” Penny said. “I can promise you that from experience.”

“Yeah,” Yang sighed. “Unfortunately, that's pretty much guaranteed if you're really any queer identity. When I came out as pan, I got slut-shamed to the damn moon and back.”

“People online are constantly telling me to pick a side,” Blake said. “Coming out's liberating, and it's a huge step in terms of living your life as you. We just want you to be aware.”

“I know,” Weiss said. “And I am worried. But at the same time, I have the most amazing friends in the world backing me up. If that's not enough, then what is? I trust all of you with my life.”

Yatsuhashi returned with a tray, carrying their drinks.

“Tea for Blake,” Yatsuhashi said. “Virgin strawberry sunrise for Yang. Water for Penny, no ice. Coffee for Warren.”

“I guess now's as good a time as any to start,” Weiss said, nervously.

Yatsuhashi raised an eyebrow, confused.

“Thank you,” Weiss said as she took the coffee. “But I'm going by Weiss now.”

“My apologies,” Yatsuhashi said. “Coffee for Weiss. Mountain dew for Ruby. Do you mind if I ask if you are changing your name in general, or if-”

“I'm trans,” Weiss finished, answering him at the same time.

“What are your pronouns?” Yatsuhashi asked as he handed out straws.

“She/her,” Weiss said. “Thank you.”

“Absolutely,” he said. “Your food is being made, and it should be out soon. You ladies have a wonderful evening.”

“Thanks, Yatsu,” Yang waved.

“Wow, it's... terrifying,” Weiss said. “I'm used to coming out, quietly, in a one-on-one conversation.”

“I feel that,” Yang said.

Penny nodded in agreement.

“You also won't just come out once,” Blake said. “Common misconception. You'll probably have to come out so many times it'll get annoying, to be honest.”

“Oh, yeah,” Yang said. “We always think it'll be as simple as a 'hey, this is who I am' on social media or something. Turns out word doesn't spread like it does in the movies.”

“It will also likely take time for some people to adjust to your name and pronouns, unfortunately,” Penny said. “People will get them wrong, and it will hurt.”

“I figured,” Weiss sighed.

“I am fortunate in that no one remembers my deadname,” Penny said. “So people only know me as Penny.”

“No other name could ever fit you so well,” Ruby said. “Oh, shoot! Blake, are your parents gonna be okay with an impromptu sleepover?”

“Are you kidding? They're so glad I have friends, they'd probably let me go on a trip to New York with you all if that was the plan,” Blake said.

Weiss felt a twinge of jealousy, immediately followed by guilt.

She wanted to be happy for Blake for having such a loving family, but remembering just how much her parents cared for her caused an ugly side of Weiss that she didn't even know was there to flare up.

It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she have that?

She knew it wasn't Blake's fault.

She sighed, pushing her envy back down. She focused instead on what she _did_ have. For one, she had a loving support group she could only have dreamed of a few months ago. Just three months back, a dinner like this was impossible for her.

And now she was living it.

On top of that, maybe Blake and Yang had loving families in some regards, but Weiss had it easier in others. Willow wasn't the best mother, but at least she was _there_. At least Weiss didn't have to wonder if she had been dead for all of her life. That was more than Yang could say. Ruby didn't even have the luxury of hope. She had never really known her mom.

And Blake... her family was amazing, yes...

But Weiss didn't have anyone like Adam, trying to claw his way into her life.

Not to mention, Weiss had never been discriminated on based on her race.

Penny was similar to her in several ways, but the ways society actively made Penny's life hell for being autistic was something Weiss would never experience, and on top of that, Penny was a trans woman of color. Weiss couldn't even imagine the difficulties Penny faced every day just for existing.

They all constantly faced their own hell, and Weiss hated her own, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she would have crumbled under what any of her friends were going through.

And what was more, they each had a solace Weiss hadn't considered.

 _Each other_.

Maybe, with enough work, all of these people _could_ be family.

She heard the term get thrown around, _found family_ , but she never really understood it. Not until now.

She knew whatever happened with Raven Branwen, whenever Ruby would be hit with grief, whenever Penny would be left to struggle with a world that was hell to anyone neurodivergent, whenever Adam showed is face, or Penny or Blake was discriminated against... she would be there. Weiss would be there, and she would be the family they needed. Just like they were all doing for her today.

And maybe that was the family Weiss truly wanted.

* * *

Weiss had never seen a house quite like Yang and Ruby's. Sure, she had seen several that were similar from the outside, but the inside was what truly baffled her.

Winter's apartment's living room alone was the size of their living room, kitchen, and one of the bedrooms combined.

The windows were alarmingly small, only about three to four feet in height and maybe six or seven feet across on the larger ones.

The entire house only had one bathroom, which was almost incomprehensible to her.

There were only three bedrooms.

The kitchen was only big enough for about two people to move around in.

And the living room, it was about the size of Weiss' bedroom. There was room for their two-person couch, a recliner, a three-person couch, their coffee table, their tv (which was only a 43 inch tv), and a few bookshelves, but it felt so... cramped. She didn't even know they _made_ couches that could only fit two people. The smallest couch she had ever sat on prior to today was made for four to sit with plenty of room between.

Their dining room table was truly astonishing. It had only four chairs.

She didn't speak up about her confusion, because it immediately hit her that this was how _most_ people lived, and to comment on it just may be the most snobby thing possible.

Her surprise still must have been noticeable, however, because Blake couldn't help but laugh as Weiss looked around the room.

“You okay, snow angel?” Yang asked, amused.

“I...” Weiss said, blushing. “It's dumb, and-”

“No, now I wanna know,” Ruby said.

Weiss sighed.

“Okay,” Weiss said. “Before I say anything, I understand just how privilleged I am, and how much this emphasizes it.”

“But?” Yang grinned.

“This place is so small,” Weiss said. “It's disorienting.”

“Hey, Weiss,” Ruby smiled. “Would you believe me if I told you most apartments were worse?”

“What?” Weiss scoffed.

“Absolutely,” Blake said.

“Yeah this is actually really decent by comparison,” Yang said.

“I... I've only ever been in my house, Winter's apartment, Ciel's house, and Henry's house,” Weiss said. “And they're all-”

“Luxury,” Blake said. “Way bigger than anyone would ever need. Honestly, if your mansion was opened up to the public, the amount of homeless people it could house...”

“Oh god,” Weiss said, as Blake's words sank in. “Just my bedroom alone could probably house a family. Several if they're willing to be a little cramped.”

“Welcome to poor life,” Yang cheered. “If all works well and you get away from Jackass Schnee, this is what you can expect.”

“I'd happily take it over him,” Weiss said. “Even if I do make it big, I hate the concept of hogging space like that. I just haven't seen a normal house until now.”

As Weiss spoke, a tall man stepped into the room, from the kitchen, with shaggy blonde hair and stubble. He was wearing an apron, which had several stains from ketchup, grease, and tomato sauce.

“Hey dad, we brought friends,” Ruby said.

“I already know Blake and Penny,” he said. “I'm assuming this is Weiss?”

“Yup,” Yang said, grabbing a soda.

“Nice to meet you,” Tai said, as Weiss anxiously took a seat.

“Thank you, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” she said.

“Did everyone have a good dinner?” Tai asked, stepping back to the kitchen.

“It was amazing, their pizza was so good!” Ruby said. “Oh, and Yang tried to get alcohol.”

Tai came back into the living room, and folded his arms, scowling at Yang.

“Relax, it was just a strawberry sunrise, I wasn't trying to get jaeger or anything,” Yang said.

“You know you've still got five years until that's all on the table,” he scolded.

“Laaame,” Yang said. “It didn't work anyway, the waiter's one of our classmates.”

“Well, at least someone there was responsible,” Tai smiled, as he sat down with a hamburger in hand.

The door opened, just a second later, as Mr. Branwen entered the house.

“Hey, unlce Qrow,” Ruby said.

“Right, he's your uncle,” Weiss said. “That makes too much sense.”

“Hey, nerds,” Qrow laughed, as he grabbed a soda from the refrigerator. “How have you all been liking the play?”

“It's been a lot of fun,” Blake said. “Thanks for including us.”

“No problem. I guess play for most of you, advanced calculus for you,” Qrow said, taking a seat.

“Ha, ha,” Weiss said. “You have no idea how much you helped me by allowing me to participate.”

“Actually, I do,” Qrow said. “I didn't wanna draw attention to it before, around other students, but Yang and Ruby can't stop talking about you. I've overheard a bit.”

Ruby pulled over a chair from the dining room, while Weiss, Blake, and Yang sat on the couch, and Penny sat next to Qrow on the two-person couch.

“I'm sorry you had to end up here,” Qrow said. “Decent states in every direction and you got Idaho, that's some terrible luck.”

“Qrow, she probably doesn't wanna fixate on everything that sucks,” Taiyang said.

“Fair,” Qrow said. “Either way, it's nice to see you being yourself, for once.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

Weiss was taken aback by how pleasant everything was, when she was reminded of the last time she felt this way, and immediately guilt welled in her. It was far from the first time she had been brought back to the thought.

“Hey, Blake?” Weiss asked. “Would it be alright if I borrowed your phone for a minute? I haven't gotten a chance to check on Winter, and I've been worried.”

“Absolutely,” Blake said, handing it to her. Weiss stepped into the dining room, dialing Winter's number.

After waiting a few seconds, she was met with a message stating that the number had been disconnected.

So she tried Ciel's.

And after several seconds-

“This is Ciel Soleil,” the voice replied.

“Hello, Ciel, it's Weiss,” she said.

“Hello, Weiss,” Ciel said. “Were you looking for Winter?”

“Yes, I was wondering if you knew how I could get ahold of her?” Weiss asked.

“I think I know a way,” Ciel said, and a moment later, a different voice spoke.

“Weiss?” Winter's worried voice asked. “Are you okay?”

“I am,” Weiss said. “I was worried about you.”

“I'm doing alright,” Winter assured her. “Despite father revoking my college payments, to the best of his ability, I didn't get here on his word. I have several scholarships and they were happy to work out a payment plan. I'm living in their dorm now with Ciel. I've already got a decent lead on part time work, and soon I should have my phone line back on. Please don't worry about me.”

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief.

“How can I not worry? You're my sister,” Weiss said.

“Have you been alright?” Winter asked.

“No,” Weiss sighed. “I really haven't. Father... he's been trying to find a boarding school to send me to, he wants... Winter, he wants to send me to conversion therapy.”

Winter was silent for a very long ten seconds.

“That's not going to happen,” Winter said. “I'll find a way to get you out of there. I said I was going to help and I meant it. I'm not giving up on you.”

“Please focus on yourself,” Weiss said. “You're in a rough spot, too, and I don't want you to end up worse because you prioritized me.”

“I can prioritize us both,” Winter said. “I don't have a solution yet, but I'll find one, I promise.”

“I... had one other question,” Weiss said. “My clothes, the ones that you were still keeping at your apartment...”

“I still have them,” Winter said. “I'll bring them back to you once we can keep them safe from Jacques.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I really appreciate that.”

“Of course,” Winter said.

“There's something else you should know,” Weiss said. “I ran into someone earlier. She hasn't made up her mind, but I might need you and Ciel to come down if you can. It's really important.”

“Who did you run into?” Winter asked.

Weiss took a deep breath.

“Ilia,” Weiss said. “She's angry. She's a senior at my school. Listen, Winter. She's been going through horrible things for years. You said you wanted to make up for how you treated her. I might be able to give you that chance, if Ilia ends up being okay with it.”

“She... she has every right to be angry,” Winter said, her voice shocked and shaken. “Let me know when, and we'll be there. I promise.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I need to get going, but I'm glad you're okay.”

“As am I,” Winter said. “Please, stay safe, Weiss.”

“I will,” Weiss said. “Bye.”

“Goodbye, sister,” Winter said.

Weiss returned, giving Blake her phone back. At this point, Qrow had gone home, and Tai had stepped out to work on a project in the garage.

“So, what does everyone want to do?” Ruby asked, awkwardly.

“We still have a few hours of daylight,” Blake said.

“Ooh,” Yang said. “Anyone else wanna see the mall?”

“It really has been a while since I've been down there,” Weiss said. “And I do have a little bit of allowance money left. If I'm coming out tomorrow, I'd like to wear clothes and makeup that reflect who I really am.”

“How much do you have?” Yang asked.

“About forty dollars,” Weiss said.

“I'll tell you what,” Yang said. “You can use me and Ruby's makeup kit if you want. It's got some decent variety, and we both only use really specific parts of it.”

“Yeah, help yourself,” Ruby agreed. “You can probably get a somewhat decent outfit for that, but you'd need that much just to get a makeup kit.”

“If there's anything they're missing, I know my makeup,” Blake said. “I can lend you anything else you need.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

* * *

To say that the five of them had drastically different interests in the mall was an understatement. The moment they arrived, they already all were about to head in different directions.

“Let's go alphabetical,” Yang suggested. “Blake first. Then Penny, Ruby, Weiss, and I'll go last.”

“I'm alright with that,” Weiss said. “Where to, Blake?”

Sixty seconds later, they arrived at Hot Topic, a store Weiss had only been into on rare occasions, when Ilia had dragged Winter and Ciel there.

“You'll never believe who works here,” Blake said.

“You say that like it's surprising,” Yang said. “Think they're on shift?”

As an answer to her question, Emerald Sustrai greeted them while they walked in.

“How're you all doing?” Emerald asked, while reorganizing the Funko Pop! Selection.

“Not bad,” Yang said. “Just having a girls' night out. Is Merc in?”

“Yeah, he's behind the counter,” Emerald said. “Girls' night?”

“On that note,” Weiss said. “You can call me Weiss.”

“Well, I'll be,” Emerald said. “Hey, Mercury!”

She turned to face Mercury, who was leaning over the counter, clearly bored.

“Remember that bet you made, last April? I owe you fifty bucks,” Emerald said.

“Wait, which one?” Mercury asked.

“What do you mean, which one?” Emerald asked.

“Was it about Principal Ozpin's tie? Because I told you, it's a clip on,” Mercury said.

Emerald facepalmed, before turning to Weiss.

“No,” Emerald said. “The other bet.”

Mercury leaned over, realizing Weiss was there, too.

“Oh!” Mercury said. “Well, in my defense, I haven't been bringing it up because I found out I was right like a month ago.”

“Nice going, Weiss, you cost me fifty bucks,” Emerald joked. “Which happens to be the price of our current deal for three t-shirts, if you're interested.”

“No, thank you,” Weiss smiled. “This is more Blake's avenue than mine.”

“As cute as you'd look in black lipstick,” Blake said, as she looked through their jewelry.

Weiss hoped no one saw her blush.

“I can't believe I've never been here!” Ruby exclaimed, eyes on the nerdy t-shirts all over the walls. “They have so much nerd stuff! Oh, wow, nerd stuff is expensive.”

“Your birthday's coming up, isn't it?” Emerald asked. “You know, we offer a discount on birthdays.”

“Where do I sign up?” Ruby asked.

“I can register you,” Emerald said. “Mercury, I've got registers.”

“Got it,” Mercury said, stepping away from the counter. He took over Emerald's position, giving it only half his attention. “So, was Emerald just a lot closer to you than I thought, or are you coming out?”

“I'm coming out,” Weiss said.

“Hell yeah,” Mercury said. “You've looked miserable enough, it's about time you do something for you.”

“Could I ask you a... personal question?” Weiss asked.

“Shoot,” Mercury said.

“When you came out, how... did your father react?” Weiss asked.

“He didn't give two shits, honestly,” Mercury said. “Not when I came out publicly, that is. He stopped caring when I came out to him, which was months before. Why?”

“I'm sure this is what I want,” Weiss said. “I'm just worried about the risks.”

“Well, it's definitely risky,” Mercury said. “But in my opinion it's worth it. I know there's a lot of people out there that'll tell you your parents love you and they'll eventually accept you, but it's not always true. Unfortunately, that's a risk we all run, by being who we are. I'd still come out a million times, risks included, before I'd spend another day in the closet. Fuck that.”

“I know what you mean,” Weiss said. “It's just nerve-wracking.”

“What's your plan for when your old man finds out?” Mercury asked.

“I don't have one,” Weiss admitted. “I just know I can't stay in the closet anymore.”

“Fair enough,” Mercury said. “You doing it tomorrow at school?”

“That's the plan,” Weiss said.

“Well, good luck,” Mercury said. “Don't let people like Henry get you down.”

A few minutes later, they walked out of the store, Blake carrying a bag with a few shirts, a new makeup kit, and a choker. Ruby hadn't bought anything that day, but was already making plans to come by in a few days.

Penny was up next, and she eagerly led the way to a store Ilia had absolutely adored, Box Lunch. Weiss enjoyed having the freedom this time to look at the Disney Princess-themed options, rather than the Star Wars merch that Ilia always dragged her to.

Weiss didn't have enough money to justify buying anything here, however, so she just window shopped while Penny and Ruby loaded up on Overwatch, Marvel, and DC themed goodies. Blake and Yang made their way over to Weiss, clearly having had their fill.

“You really like Snow White,” Yang said, as Weiss looked around.

“Did you know Schnee is German for snow?” Weiss asked. “It drew me to the story when I was learning German. We read a lot of fairy tales as language exercises.”

“Wait,” Blake said. “Snow White...”

“Weiss is German for white,” Weiss said. “Well, it's pronounced 'veiss,' but you get my point. It kept coming up, and it stood out to me.”

“That's actually really beautiful,” Yang said. “I've always been more of a Goldilocks gal, myself.”

“I personally prefer Beauty and the Beast,” Blake said. “Would Snow White be a good halloween costume for you, then?”

“No,” Weiss admitted. “There's someone I'd rather go as, as much as I love Snow White. Still a Disney princess, but more personality, less... nonconsentual kissing.”

Yang and Blake both nodded in agreement.

“But I don't know if I'll be able to get a good costume of her in time,” Weiss said. “And I've actually never been to a costume party.”

“Really?” Yang asked. “Okay, I'll make you a deal. I'll buy your costume, and you pay me back when you can.”

“Really?” Weiss asked.

“Really,” Yang said. “So, who?”

Weiss sighed.

“I feel like you'll laugh,” Weiss said.

“Oh my god, it's Elsa,” Yang grinned.

“Look, I enjoy winter-themed characters,” Weiss said. “And I identify very strongly with her.”

“That's it, sometime we need to do a themed event for Disney princesses,” Yang said. “You can be Elsa, I'll be Rapunzel, Blake can be Belle.”

“I'd actually really enjoy that,” Weiss said.

“What are you two talking about?” Ruby asked, from behind.

“Just getting Weiss' costume figured out,” Yang said.

“Well, if you're all done here, it's my turn to choose, and I'm taking you all to gamestop,” Ruby said.

Weiss... didn't end up even window shopping there. She wanted to be interested, but as it stood, everything there bored her. Everyone else found at least one game that interested them, but Weiss was relieved when they left and it became her turn.

She remembered Forever 21, her favorite place from when Winter had showed her around the mall in Nampa, so she led the way there. She felt bad for her friends, who had nothing to focus on for entertainment as she tried on clothes, but she desperately needed an outfit she liked if she was going to comfortably come out tomorrow.

After a half an hour, she finally emerged from Forever 21 with her outfit, which was a grey one-shoulder top with a white rose under the left side of the collar, with a pair of dark blue skinny jeans.

It wasn't a complete waste for her friends, Yang had managed to find a tank top she liked, and Penny bought two shirts she was very fond of.

“Alright, now for the grand finale,” Yang said. “Actually, dad would kill me if I brought Ruby there, I'll take y'all there next time we come down.”

“What?” Ruby whined. “No fair.”

“Wait, were you going to go to Spencer's?” Blake asked.

“Duh, it's like the best place in the whole building,” Yang said.

“Did you have a backup choice?” Weiss asked.

“Nah, not at the moment,” Yang said. “I mainly just wanted to hang out with y'all, and we can do that wherever.”

“Then, I think we need to give Weiss a gaming education before it gets too late,” Ruby said.

“I think you're right,” Yang said.

* * *

Weiss was nervous. She had played a single MMO once on her phone before giving up on the hobby, and that had been her entire experience with gaming. Reluctantly, however, she decided to give her friends a chance to change her mind. Yang and Ruby introduced her to Halo, so she wouldn't be completely unfamiliar when Ruby's party happened. While Weiss did abysmally poor, even against Blake, who didn't have much experience in first person shooters, she still actually had a lot of fun.

About an hour later, Ruby put on Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark while they all played Clue, which Blake won (It had been Ms. White in the bedroom with the knife). They then played a game Penny had brought, called Munchkin, which Weiss had to admit, she greatly enjoyed.

By the time that was done, it was getting late, and Weiss was half asleep. Their three-person couch had a slide-out matress underneath, which Penny didn't hesitate to lay on. Weiss took the two-person couch, and Blake took the three-seater.

Weiss was relieved to be so well fed, and to sleep once again at a reasonable hour.

* * *

When Weiss awoke, it was to Yang gently shaking her. Blake was already up, and Ruby was in the process of waking up Penny.

Weiss immediately noted several scents, like bacon, and the faint trace of coffee.

“Morning, sleepy head,” Yang said, gently. “It's about six in the morning, so if anyone wants to shower, it's open. I've got some coffee on for anyone who wants some. Dad's getting breakfast whipped up, so it should be ready here soon.”

“I shower in the evening,” Blake said.

“And I've already showered,” Ruby said. “So has Yang.”

“Would it be alright if I went first?” Weiss asked.

“Of course,” Penny said.

“Oh, on that note,” Yang said. “I picked these up last night, after you all crashed.”

Yang handed Weiss a packet of disposable razors and shaving cream.

“Thank you, so much,” Weiss said.

“No prob,” Yang said. “Don't take too long, you'll miss the food.”

Weiss nodded, hurrying off.

When Weiss had finished showering and shaving, she felt much cleaner than before. Her face was smooth again, and she completely let her hair down, styling it in a way she actually enjoyed rather than slicking it back. Her bangs passed her eyes now, and from the back it was about halfway to her shoulders. If it got much longer, it would be reminiscent of Nora's own hairstyle, and Weiss welcomed that.

She had put on her brand new outfit, and used every skill she could remember to get her makeup together, and then stepped out of the bathroom, readying herself for the challenge of the world seeing her without her disguise.

“Damn,” Yang said, instantly. “You look amazing, Weiss.”

“You really do,” Blake said. “You've got this, okay?”

Weiss nodded, taking a seat.

“You're not about to face this on an empty stomach, though,” Ruby said, handing her a plate.

Weiss had never had such an amazing breakfast in her life. She was used to either luxury foods or school breakfast, but none of them came close. Maybe part of the enjoyment came from atmosphere, but Weiss immediately resented the idea of going back to how things were before today. The food, the loving atmosphere, everything just felt... safe.

There was no tension. She wasn't worried someone was going to yell at her for a slight mistake, everyone was joking and laughing.

Was this... what family was supposed to feel like?

Everything felt so accepting, it was otherworldly to her.

It was a double-edged sword. It felt amazing, but to go back to Jacques after this... it felt like hell.

She didn't want to see him ever again. She never wanted to spend another day or night in that nightmare of a house.

If she ran... would he really stop her?

Maybe she could get away...

But then again... if she tried, and failed...

What would he do to her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that happened, and I'm sure you're all super eager for the next chapter. I may or may not upload it tonight depending on how my schedule goes, either way it'll be out soon.


	26. This Is Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss comes out of the closet as a trans woman.
> 
> (This chapter has an intense moment, please read the trigger warnings if there are topics that are potentially triggering to you)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for transphobia, trans exclusionary radical feminism and discussions related to the matter, misgendering, deadnaming, heavy verbal abuse, homophobic, transphobic, and sex work-phobic remarks, intense language, bullying, nonbinary erasure, gaslighting, general toxic behavior, mentions of Adam Taurus, mentions of Rupaul's Drag Race and Ace Ventura, ableism, mentions of starvation, alcoholism, neglect, disowning, and homelessness
> 
> EDIT: Also, just a cool thing to note, I'm coming up on surpassing the total word count of the original fic, which just goes to show how much more detail I put into this one.

The walk to school was rather pleasant, it was quiet, and gave Weiss time to ready herself.

She couldn't believe she had made it this far.

She had imagined this day before, but it never quite seemed like it'd actually happen.

And yet, here she was, about to show her true colors, no mask, no more lies, no more _Warren_.

It was mortifying, but at the same time... she couldn't wait.

When they reached the school, Weiss took a deep breath, and then let it go.

And then she stepped onto school property.

With Yang, Blake, Ruby, and Penny all by her side, she walked up to the doors... and pulled them open.

The first person to see her, as she stepped inside, was Robyn Hill, and then May, Fiona, and Joanna all saw her too.

“Good morning,” Weiss said, nervously.

_That's it? All of this preparation and all you've got is 'good morning'?_

“Morning,” Robyn said, and then gave Weiss the next chance to speak.

“I'd like to reintroduce myself,” Weiss said. “My name is Weiss.”

May grinned, supportively.

“I knew you'd make it,” May said. “You look great.”

“When I said you reminded me of May, I didn't realize just how much I hit the nail on the head,” Joanna chuckled. “I'm happy for you.”

“Henry really surrounds himself with eggs, doesn't he?” May asked.

“Yes, he definietly does,” Weiss agreed.

“What are your pronouns?” Fiona asked.

“She/her,” Weiss said.

“You can't be serious,” a voice said from behind.

Weiss turned to see Miltia and Melanie Malachite.

“I don't know what's more sad,” Miltia said. “Seeing a Schnee amount to this, or that makeup. A toddler could do better.”

“It's a lot better than yours,” May said. “Unless- wait, right. Halloween's coming up, that explains it. Nevermind. You two pull off clown phenomenally well.”

“That's rich, coming from-”

“You don't get it, do you?” Yang asked. “No one here wants to talk to you. Move along.”

Melanie huffed, before storming off, Miltia at her heels.

“Thanks, you two,” Weiss said.

“No problem,” May said. “Those two love to shit on a good moment.”

* * *

True to Blake, Yang, and Penny's words, Weiss must have came out a hundred times that day. After Robyn, May, Joanna, and Fiona, she came out to Sun and Neptune. Then Pyrrha. Then Jaune and Ren, and then the doors to the rest of the school opened. Her next chance came when she went up to see Coco, Flynt, Neon, and Velvet. Aside from Neon, who already knew, she was relieved to see that everyone was relatively surprised. After Mercury having apparently called it well enough to place a bet, and Neon saying she 'knew it', she had been beginning to doubt her acting skills.

The teachers were another instance of variation.

Oobleck and Port both reacted about the same way; positive. They both agreed to use her real name, over her deadname, and there was little disagreement.

Then she got to third period.

As usual, she went to speak to the teacher before attendance was called, to avoid making it the entire class' issue every single period.

“Excuse me?” Weiss asked. “Miss Salem?”

Salem looked up from her desk, raising an eyebrow.

But worse... Weiss caught several of the small mannerisms that she had heard of, called microexpressions.

Salem's nostrils slightly flared, her lip curled...

Disgust. Her reaction was one of disgust.

And then it was gone. Within less than a second, Salem's own mask was up, and she continued to hold that professional demeanor that Weiss found so unsettling.

“Yes, Warren?” Salem asked.

“I wanted to let you know,” Weiss said, trying to ignore the way her mouth went dry, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “I'm going by Weiss now, and would prefer it if you used she/her pronouns when referring to me.”

“Most of my experience shows that you are one of my more educated students,” Salem said. “Now, I hardly consider myself an expert in language. I teach biology, after all. But biology, that is a subject I am very familiar with. Biology has some very strict rules, biology has a basis in fact. Now, I have used the names on my sheet to refer to all of my students, as these names reflect what their parents chose for them. For some of these students, such as Jaune Arc or Neon Katt, these names have been rectified to fit their own... choices. You aren't the first student, however, that has requested that I use a... _nickname_... to refer to them. So I will answer you the same way as I answered them. Unless a parent or legal guardian _forces_ me to do otherwise, I will use the information provided to me as a teacher. As for the pronouns you would... _prefer_... biology isn't about preference. The moment that changes, I will let you know, but I wouldn't hold my breath.”

Weiss' momentum had been shattered.

She expected Melanie and Miltia's snide comments, and she had moved past them with the help of her friends, but this...

She already felt like this whole thing was a mistake.

“Am I clear?” Salem asked.

Weiss nodded, before she turned to go to her seat, trembling.

“That wasn't fair,” Pyrrha said, from the seat next to her. “I'm sorry, Weiss.”

“It's fine,” Weiss sighed.

“No,” Yatsuhashi said, from her other side. “It isn't. She does the same thing to Fox.”

“Even with Jaune and Neon, she finds subtle ways to make them question their identity,” Pyrrha said. “Apparently, last week she used Neon as an example when explaining male biological development.”

“She actually told Fox that nonbinary wasn't real,” Yatsuhashi said. “She's vile.”

“Actually,” Elm said, from behind Weiss. “She's the only one making sense around here. First Sam, then you.”

“May,” Weiss snapped. “Her name is May.”

“Right,” Elm said, sarcastically. “I mean, his birth certificate says-”

“My birth certificate says I weigh seven and a half pounds,” Pyrrha said. “Turns out it isn't accurate.”

Elm rolled her eyes.

Salem's class had to be one of the longest and most torturous things Weiss had ever experienced. Salem called on Weiss twice as often as usual, which was alarming as Weiss didn't ever raise her hand today in this class. Each time, she made sure to speak her deadname, just waiting for Weiss to argue... but she never did.

Finally, the class drew to a close.

And then dread washed over Weiss.

If she thought Salem would be a nightmare, she had forgotten what her fourth period class was.

When she stepped into the gym, it felt like she was trapped under a mountian of fear.

And then, before she had taken more than a single step in, Glynda Goodwitch stepped out of her office, with Yang and Neon right behind her.

“Weiss,” Glynda said, waving her over. “Step into my office, please.”

Weiss nodded, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she stepped inside.

“Yang and Neon told me today you came out as transgender, is this true?” Glynda asked.

“Yes,” Weiss said.

“And your name is Weiss, correct?” Glynda said.

“Yes, it is,” Weiss said.

“Alright,” Glynda said, folding her hands in front of her. “As I'm sure you're aware, Taylor High is perfectly willing and happy to accommodate for transgender students. Unfortunately, our options are still somewhat limited, and that includes a rather outdated binary system for our physical education. While we would like to find a middle ground for nonbinary students, we aren't yet capable of doing so. What we can offer is that trans men are able to participate in the men's P. E. class, trans women are able to participate in women's P. E., and nonbinary students are given the option to choose.”

“Wait, so I don't have to keep participating in Coach Theodore's class?” Weiss asked.

“Of course not,” Glynda said. “It may, however, take some time to get everything moved over. As I was not aware of your identity until just now, I haven't cleared a locker for you yet, but I can get started on doing so. It should be fully ready by the end of the period.”

“I...” Weiss said, nervously. “I'm actually not comfortable changing around anyone, at all. Is there any other option for me to use?”

“Actually, there is,” Glynda said. “There's a bathroom for this office, which isn't gendered. I'd be happy to let you change there, if that would be preferable.”

“I would greatly appreciate that,” Weiss said.

“Good. In that case, before Theodore sends his class in, I'd like you to grab your belongings from your locker, go ahead and hang on to your gym clothes. Are you sure you wouldn't like a locker?” Glynda asked.

“I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable,” Weiss said. “I can keep my gym clothes in my actual locker, in the hall.”

Glynda sighed.

“If that would be easier, then feel free,” she said. “Go grab your things, and then take a seat on my side of the gym.”

“Thank you, Coach Goodwitch,” Weiss said.

* * *

When Weiss finally got to lunch, she was feeling a little better. She had to put up with Melanie and Miltia in P. E. now, rather than Cardin and Dove, but Yang, Pyrrha, Neon, and Nora were all in her class, too, so she felt a lot less alone than before.

Even so, dealing with Salem, the Malachites, and Elm had taken a lot of Weiss' motivation.

“Hey,” Blake said. “How has it been going so far?”

“Well, Ms. Salem refuses to call me my name,” Weiss sighed, as she sat down with her food. “I thought she was awful before.”

Jaune sat down next to them.

“Tell me about it,” Jaune said. “She makes me want to transfer to a different school.”

“Are we talking about Salem? She's the absolute wooorst,” Ruby said, sitting across from Jaune.

“I think I've seen people like her online,” Weiss said.

“The term you're looking for is trans-exclusionary radical feminist,” Jaune sighed.

“Wait, they call themselves feminists?” Blake asked, alarmed.

“Yup,” Jaune said.

“Hey guys!” Neon said, as she joined the table. “What's going on?”

“Weiss just got out of Salem's class,” Jaune explained.

“Oh, no,” Neon said.

“They're just hearing about TERFs, for the first time,” Jaune said. “You wanna help me explain?”

“Okay,” Neon said. “You know the whole 'trans women are just perverted men who want to attack women' misconception?”

“I'm familiar with it,” Weiss said.

“It's driven by them. They call it feminism, but it's just blatant transphobia,” Neon said. “Their whole argument is based on the assumption that one's assigned sex at birth is the only determining factor of gender, which is wildly inaccurate.”

“There's so much science that backs up gender identity,” Jaune said. “But they ignore it, because the existence of trans people threatens their whole belief system.”

“Which is?” Blake asked.

“That men are irredeemably evil, and women are undeniably good,” Jaune said. “And that there are no exceptions to this.”

“Yup,” Neon said. “The whole movement is blatantly discriminatory to gay men, trans men, men of color, really any men, or anyone they percieve as men, like me. It partially stems from the initial waves of feminism, decades ago.”

“That sounds... repulsive,” Blake said. “Wait... you mean people like J. K. Rowling?”

“Exactly,” Neon said.

“Wait,” Yang said. “So if they support their version of feminism, and they percieve trans people as their assigned-at-birth sex, what's their stance on trans guys?”

“Well, always one of two things,” Jaune said. “We're either traitors to our gender, or we're lesbians that were brainwashed by the patriarchy and transitioned to escape misogyny.”

“Seriously?” Yang scoffed.

“You'll run into them from time to time,” Neon said. “If you want my advice, try not to engage with them. Their whole method of arguing is to throw microaggressions at you until you lash out, then call you violent for it. In this case, it's not really avoidable, since she's our teacher, but you can limit your interaction with them, and that's at least something.”

Weiss nodded.

“I'd rather not think about that,” Weiss said. “Since you all are here, though, are there any other teachers I should be careful around?”

“Theodore isn't intentionally harmful, but he can unintentionally push toxic masculinity,” Jaune said. “Ironwood tries not to take sides. In this case, though, he's perfectly willing to respect trans people's pronouns and names, but he's not going to go out of his way to help if transphobia flares up. He'll shut it down if it interrupts his class, but that's about it.”

“Wonderful,” Weiss said.

“Qrow is wonderful,” Neon said. “Like, remarkably supportive. So is Mr. Polendina.”

“So is Mrs. Calavera,” Blake said. “I've seen her shut down people being transphobic towards May.”

“What about Ms. Rumpole?” Weiss asked.

“Penny said she doesn't really care one way or another,” Ruby said. “Kinda like Ironwood.”

“I see,” Weiss sighed.

“Why, who do you have for the rest of the day?” Jaune asked.

“Lionheart,” Weiss began. Everyone at the table expressed annoyance in one way or another. Blake rolled her eyes, Neon cringed, Jaune let out an 'ugh'. “Then Rumpole, then Ironwood.”

“Well, there's good news,” Yang said. “The day's already over halfway through.”

“Yeah,” Weiss said. “Good news.”

Yang and Blake looked to each other, confused.

“Is it... not good news?” Blake asked.

“When school ends for the day, I go home,” Weiss said. “And see my father. In the past twenty-four hours, I snuck out of the house, and then came out as trans. I guess it's just starting to dawn on me that it's getting close.”

“Weiss...” Blake said. “I know you're scared, and we're all here for you. If you want to, we'll help you hide from him.”

“And if you're sure the best option is to go back to that place, I'd be willing to go with you,” Yang said. “He tries anything, I'll knock his teeth out.”

“Yeah, we've got your back,” Ruby said.

Weiss felt a glimmer of hope, in just how much her friends were supporting her, but it felt as though it would only last as long as they were here. Once she was separated from them again, it would die out.

“You'd never make it past security, not if he didn't want you to,” Weiss said. “I know his main security guy, and he's not the type to betray his boss, either. I don't think that's an option.”

“Then you might want to... not go back,” Blake said. “I'm worried. When you came out to him, he...”

Blake faltered, looking down.

“What happened when you came out to him?” Jaune asked.

Weiss pointed to her scar.

“Okay, yeah, this guy sounds dangerous,” Jaune said.

“He's also powerful,” Weiss said. “And I don't know if I could run.”

“I just don't want anything really bad to happen,” Blake said.

“Neither do I,” Weiss said. “But I don't know what else to do. I can't run. I can't take you with. By process of elimination, I need to go back, it's the only option left. I just wish I could find the rebellious energy I had this morning. Salem, Melanie, Miltia, Elm, P. E., everything's derailed it. Don't get me wrong, today has been amazing, and I wouldn't take back coming out.”

“Weiss,” Yang said. “You got that energy, that bravery, because you had friends that care about you and encourage you to be yourself. And you still have all of those friends, hell, I'd argue you have more now.”

Weiss nodded.

“You're... you're right,” Weiss said. “I didn't realize it... but that's why it took until last night for me to make the decision.”

“Don't try to think of that energy,” Yang said. “Think of us, think of how you felt while you hung out with us.”

Weiss nodded, thinking back.

Yang's jokes, Blake's intelligence, Ruby's kindness, Penny's honesty...

She _loved_ those.

And it wasn't just about that, there was something else.

Weiss was a different person when she was with them. A better person, a stronger person.

They didn't make her feel guilty for enjoying herself. They liked it when she was happy.

“I feel a lot better,” Weiss said, as she returned to the present. “Thank you, Yang.”

Yang nodded.

“I can be deep when I wanna,” she grinned.

“Excuse me,” someone said from behind Weiss. Weiss turned to see Ilia. “Blake, could I have a minute with you?”

“Absolutely,” Blake said.

* * *

Ilia sat where she always did, a quiet corner of the cafeteria. Blake, who had followed her over, took her seat next to her.

“What's up?” Blake asked.

“Like I said, I don't mind you and Weiss being friends, I really don't,” Ilia said. “But I need to talk to you and have your friendship with her not impact your response, is that something you can do?”

“Yes,” Blake said. “I promise. I'm her friend, but I'm also yours, and I understand how much she hurt you.”

Ilia nodded.

“Did she tell you what happened, the other day?” Ilia asked.

“In the library? Yeah,” Blake said.

“So, her offer to get me a chance to talk to Winter and Ciel...” Ilia said. “I don't know what to do.”

“Are you looking for advice, or do you just want me to listen?” Blake asked.

The two of them had figured out, far too late, that question could have saved their relationship.

“Right now, I'm looking for advice,” Ilia said.

“I think it could help you a lot to take her up on that offer,” Blake said. “You're really hurt, Ilia, and rightfully so. You were abandoned and ignored and bullied, for who you are. And I'm not saying this is a reason to lash out at them. I'm saying, you could heal a lot with this chance. I know you've been wanting to ask them all _why_.”

“I know why Weiss did it,” Ilia said. “And on some level, I get it. I don't know if I can forgive her, but I get it. But I have been wanting to ask them why. Winter and Ciel were my closest friends. I _loved_ them, Blake. They were family. And then they hated me.”

“Weiss wants to give you the chance to get closure, the chance to heal and work through these issues you've been hanging onto for years,” Blake said. “I really, really think it'd be a good idea.”

“I... I don't know what I want,” Ilia said. “Part of me doesn't think I can stomach seeing Winter and Ciel and having them bully me like they used to.”

“Fair,” Blake said. “Based on how Weiss talks about Winter, I think she's grown past that, but I don't know for sure.”

“But that's the thing,” Ilia said. “Does it make me... petty... or toxic... if I don't want them to be reasonable? If I go to talk to them, I want to tell them how angry they made me... and if I'm being honest, part of me wants to make them feel the same way. If they're... reasonable... ugh, okay. When I went to confront Weiss, I thought she would lash out, like Winter would have a few years ago. I was prepared to argue with Weiss, to insult her, but then she just... listened. And she was far more reasonable than I ever thought she would be. And that made me angrier, Blake. It's not fair, they hurt me over and over and then when I wanted to do the same...”

“You're torn,” Blake said. “Part of you wants to heal. And part of you, part of you is really hurt and wants payback. It wasn't fair what happened to you, and you've lost years to this anger, so the only way you know how to cope is to lash out, but if the person isn't fighting back, then you feel like you're being unreasonable.”

“Exactly!” Ilia exclaimed. “And maybe I am being unreasonable. Not maybe. I'm being irrational, but... I'm really angry.”

“Listen to me, Ilia,” Blake said. “You need to be able to talk to Weiss, Winter, and Ciel. You need to be able to get emotional, and explain everything. You need to be allowed to cry. You need to be allowed to vent. And you can hold them accountable for their actions without insulting them and lashing out, but it can be a dangerous line to walk.”

“You really think that'll help?” Ilia asked.

“Anger, vengeance, it's like a poison,” Blake said. “You've been keeping it inside you for years, and it just gets worse. You need to get it out, but an eye for an eye makes the world blind. If you let your vengeance steer you, you won't feel better. Maybe you'll feel better in the moment, but then all you'll be left with is three people that, whether you wanna admit it or not, you still care about, that are now just as hurt as you, and you won't have actually let yourself heal. You'll just be left with guilt and regret. I know it's tempting, but it won't help you. Weiss is willing to listen. And from what I heard, she called Winter last night to see if she was willing to, and Winter agreed. You need to get your emotions off your chest, then give yourself the chance to heal. What might be even harder to do, if things line up right, is let Ciel, Winter, and Weiss _help_ you heal. You'd be amazed at what a heartfelt apology can do, if it's authentic.”

“I... I'm scared,” Ilia said. “Opening up like that... especially to them...”

“It won't be easy,” Blake said. “And it is going to hurt, a lot. You'll be tearing all of your walls down. You will be vulnerable, and you'll probably see a lot of emotions you didn't even realize you were burying. That's kinda guaranteed when you've been hanging onto it this long. If you don't deal with this, though, it'll just get worse. It'll get so much worse. And if you lash out...” Blake shrunk slightly at the thought, but pressed on. “We both know someone who does let vengeful impulses like that control him.”

“Adam,” Ilia said.

“Does he seem happy?” Blake asked. “Is he who you want to be like?”

“No,” Ilia said. “God, no.”

“You wanted my advice. I honestly think the only thing you can do at this point that is legitimately healthy, is talk to them, and tell them how hurt you are. Let yourself feel everything you've been afraid to. And I'll be there, for you, the whole time.”

“If I'm really venting _everything_ , that might put you in the middle of me and Weiss,” Ilia said.

“I know,” Blake said. “And she told me herself, if that happens, she wants me to help _you_ , she wants me to side with _you_.”

Ilia's eyes went wide in surprise.

“She actually said that?” Ilia asked.

“She's come a long way,” Blake said. “And if she has, then maybe Winter and Ciel have, too. I do truly think you have a chance here of rebuilding the bridge that they burned, which could be so much better for you than I think you realize.”

Ilia nodded.

“Okay,” Ilia said. “Every single part of my mind is telling me to ignore you right now, but I really trust you, so I'm gonna give this a chance.”

Blake smiled.

“I'm proud of you,” Blake said. “You can do this, I promise. Weiss just... may not be able to do it tonight.”

“Yeah,” Ilia said. “No, I heard. I'm angry but I'm not heartless.”

“Should we tell her?” Blake asked. Ilia took a deep breath, then nodded.

“Yeah,” she said.

Blake got up and returned to Weiss' table, where Penny had joined them by now.

“Weiss,” Blake said, before looking back to Ilia, who was right behind them again.

Weiss turned.

“I'd like to talk,” Ilia said. “To you, and Ciel, and Winter.”

Weiss nodded. “When?”

“Could we do this Saturday?” Ilia asked.

“I'll check with her, and let you know,” Weiss said. “Blake, I hate to pester you for-”

Blake chuckled as she pulled out her phone.

“Here you go,” Blake said.

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

Blake and Ilia waited as Weiss spoke, and a minute later, she handed Blake her phone.

“Saturday works,” Weiss said. “There's a park no one really ever goes to, like half a mile away, Lower Cairn Park.”

“I know it,” Ilia said.

“Winter will be there around four in the afternoon,” Weiss said.

“I'll be there. Will you be able to make it out of your father's mansion?” Ilia asked.

“I'll find a way,” Weiss said. “I know how important this is to you, and I wouldn't miss it.”

Ilia nodded.

“Thanks,” Ilia said.

* * *

Weiss' fears didn't change the fact that the end of the day kept getting closer.

Her assumptions had been correct. Lionheart, Ironwood, and Rumpole all respected her identity, at least, but that didn't mean she had an easy time in their classes.

Lionheart's class had a glaring issue she had managed to avoid up until now: Henry Marigold.

“You know, this actually explains everything,” Henry said, as Weiss had been taking a seat. “You always had a hard time standing up for what was right with us, and now I get it. I honestly should have seen it coming. You're just like Sam.”

“Henry, I'm not in the mood,” Weiss retorted.

“My bad,” Henry said. “Maybe I can convince Lionheart to put _Drag Race_ on, that's your whole thing, right? Or are you more like _Ace Ventura_? I honestly don't know what Oz is smoking, putting you back in the running. I mean, this is, what, your third time getting back into the elections, after tapping out? You can't figure out if you wanna be on student coucil any more than you can find out what bathroom you wanna use.”

“Oh my god,” Weiss said, turning to face him as realization struck her. “You're jealous. For all of your academic skill, you still can't get any further than Safety Comittee Rep.”

“What are you talking about?” Henry scoffed.

“It makes perfect sense. You threw a tantrum when you weren't my VP anymore, and now both VP choices are trans women, trans women that you've personally seen are better than you in every way,” Weiss said.

Henry folded his arms.

“You're full of shit, Warren,” he scoffed.

“Oh my god you're right,” May said. “He can't even beat someone who keeps getting forced into the elections, and he's furious.”

“He is,” Weiss said.

“Aw, Henry, I thought you stopped thinking about me when I left. It's so comforting that I stay in your head rent-free,” May laughed.

“No, wait,” Weiss said. “You remember what he said when you were gone. _Her_ name is _Chloe_.”

“Right, my bad,” May said.

“Oh my god, it was a joke,” Henry said, frustrated. “I was mocking you, you dumbass.”

“No, you seemed pretty sincere when you told Lionheart I was being transphobic,” Weiss said. “Don't worry, Chloe, it won't happen again.”

“Why didn't you just tell me you were trans?” May asked. “Question, are you a goth trans woman, or a prep trans woman?”

“I don't know, the only thing she said she identified with were helicopters,” Weiss said.

“Shut the hell up,” Henry said. “You're both morons that can't tell a joke from reality.”

“No, we can,” May said. “I'll demonstrate.”

She pointed at Henry.

“Joke.”

She pointed all around the room.

“Reality. See, cousin, the only thing here I don't take seriously is _you_ ,” May said.

Weiss hoped that Henry would leave her alone after that, and he did for the rest of the day at least. She had to admit, it was satisfying to make Henry feel just a fraction of the way he constantly made her feel, and if anything it was a thousand times better for May.

And hell, she would take whatever victory she could get, especially since it was probably the last win she would get before she confronted her father.

Rumpole's class was long, and tedious, but not overly painful, and then Ironwood's class was if anything, more long and tedious.

And then, she was on the bus, heading home.

“It'll be okay,” Jaune said, as her bus neared her stop.

“Yeah, if anything goes wrong, come find, like, any of us,” Neon said.

“We're all in your corner,” Nora said.

Sun and Neptune nodded.

“Thank you,” Weiss said, as she stood.

She stepped off the bus, hoping that maybe, while she was walking home, Schnee Manor would just evaporate.

“You're sure you're up for this?” Blake asked, as they walked.

“I... I'm not,” Weiss said. “But I'm going to face it anyway.”

“That's very mature of you,” Blake said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Weiss stopped, as they neared the place where they would split up.

“One thing,” Weiss said. “Could you... hug me? If that's okay?”

“Absolutely,” Blake said.

Blake pulled Weiss into an embrace.

“You've got this,” Blake said. “I believe in you.”

Weiss nodded.

For a few seconds, her face was pressed into Blake's shoulder, and the world fell away.

Then she pulled back, even though all she wanted was to stay with Blake.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” Weiss said.

“Be safe,” Blake said. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” Weiss said.

Blake nodded.

And then, Weiss forced herself to walk.

She kept putting one foot in front of the other, one at a time, until she got to the gate.

She punched in her key, and stepped through.

The reaction was instant. As soon as she stepped through the gate, Hazel grabbed her by the shoulder, and walked her to the door.

He pulled it open, and stepped through, dragging her to her father's office.

She didn't fight him.

She knew she'd have to face her father either way.

She didn't know if it was relieving not having to force herself to take these steps, or worse, to be physically forced to that room, at a pace she had no control over.

It didn't matter.

Before long, she was here.

Hazel knocked on the door.

“Bring him in,” Jacques spat.

Hazel pulled the door open, pushed Weiss in, and then closed the door.

She could infer that he was probably still standing on the other side, in case she tried to run.

Jacques watched as she climbed back to her feet, and defiantly glared at him, making eye contact.

His eyes scanned her hair, which he had underestimated the length of. Then to her makeup. Then to the clothes she had bought, less than a day ago.

His lip curled, the vein on his forehead bulged.

His hands formed fists, and his head started to turn a light crimson shade.

His brows furrowed.

“Quite frankly, I don't even know where to start,” Jacques said, as he stood. “So let's backtrack to the the first event of concern. Yesterday, after you showed me attitude and then went and cried like a toddler, you broke out of the house. You snuck past my men, and violated every rule I had given you. Then you disappear, and I hear nothing from you. I don't hear anything from you, all day, but I do get a concerned call from your biology teacher, about the degenerate bullshit you dragged into her classroom. I did some digging, and apparently you've still been associating with those freaks I told you to stay away from. And then you come home, dressed like a crossdressing prostitute, still covered in your dime-a-dozen face paint, and you clearly haven't the slightest manner of respect for those above you.”

Jacques stopped to take a breath, and Weiss took her chance.

“My turn,” Weiss said. “I am done. I'm done playing your games. I'm done with all of it. You know what I did last night? I snuck out, and I spent the entire night with people that care about me, more than you ever have. I went to a restaurant. Not a fancy one, like you would go to. I went to a diner, and got grilled chicken, and I joked along with my friends, and I had a wonderful time. And the thing that concerns me is, last night, I felt the healthiest I ever have. Last night was the first night in a while that I could say I felt completely happy. A father should want that for his daughter. But you don't. So I'm done. I'm done being your property. I'm done belonging to you. You don't own me, and you never have. You can fight me on it. You can try to blackmail me, you can use your wealth to shoot down anything I could ever try to do. You can send your armed guards. I don't care. I would rather live on the street, eating out of garbage cans, than spend another day living under your rule. I would rather face homelessness, right now, when winter's about to hit, then stay with you. I may be your child, but you've never earned any right to choose anything for me. You've never had anyone's interests at mind but your own. You abuse mother. You abuse Winter. You abuse Whitley. And you abuse me. Every single day. I know I deserve your love, but I just learned that I don't need it. I've never needed it. I've made it almost seventeen _years_ without it. So do whatever you want to to intimidate me, but I'm done letting that stop me.”

She glared up at him, terrified, but strong.

She finally felt as strong as Winter had been, days before.

“Listen to me, you pathetic, insolent little shit,” Jacques seethed. “You would be _nowhere_ without me. You think you have it bad? You have spent your whole life in luxury. You were raised in a mansion. You had an allowance your classmates couldn't ever fathom. You ate meals that kings would be jealous of. Your four-hundred dollar bedsheets, _me._ Your iPhones, bought for you and your siblings, the very minute they were released to the public? _Me._ Your meals that leave five star hotel meals _miles_ behind? _Me._ You've been raised with far more than most of the world has, and you're so damn ungrateful that you'd spit in my face. You have so little appreciation, you associate with the peasants that struggle just to eat every night, and then you have the audacity to tell me you have it difficult?”

“Those ' _peasants_ ' agree that you're an abusive, awful father!” Weiss snapped. “Money doesn't erase abuse. I never wanted your money, not a single day in my life, all I wanted was a _family_.”

“I challenge you to make those complaints to those far less fortunate than you,” Jacques sneered. “There are children in third world countries that starve to death, every day.”

“And you counter that?” Weiss scoffed. “You starve me if I'm short of your definition of perfect.”

“I am strict. Plenty of parents send their children to bed without dinner if they misbehave,” Jacques said.

“That's neglect, for one, even if it's a common practice,” Weiss said. “And second, imperfection isn't misbehaving!”

“You've met my standards flawlessly for years. This recent issue is a matter of you acting out. You have so much potential, and all I've ever tried to do is make you live up to it, but you'd destroy it all, for what? To prance around in a dress, covered in makeup?” Jacques snapped.

“For _me_ ,” Weiss said. “For who I am, even if you constantly try to turn me into the son you always wanted. You try to turn me into you, but I'm _not_ you, and I will never be you, I would _die_ before I'd let myself become you.”

“I'm well aware that you're not me,” Jacques retorted. “I would never sink to such ridiculous delusions. I don't put on high heels and pretend to be someone I'm not.”

“This proves my point,” Weiss growled. “Anything different than you, you demonize. I didn't even realize how much of it you beat into me until now. If something isn't academic, you belittle it. It doesn't matter if it's art, or athletics, or anything else. You mock me if I'm different than you. You expect me to follow in your footsteps, but your perfect life is different than mine! A decent parent would be proud of me for being brave enough to be myself in a world that hates people like me. I _deserve_ your pride, but I know I won't get it. Because you're shameful. You're egotistical, and you refuse to ever love anything that isn't you!”

“If it wasn't for me, you'd be on the streets, crawling like an insect, a lowlife, insignificant, pointless,” Jacques said.

“Like I said, I'd rather be on the streets, _crawling like an insect_ , than stay here with you!” Weiss yelled.

Jacques stepped around his desk, glaring down at her.

“You wouldn't last a month without me,” Jacques said.

“I'd make it a lifetime without you,” Weiss said. “And whether it was short or long, it'd be a lifetime far happier than _anything_ you've ever given me.”

“You really think you could make it without me?” he boomed. “Then go. Get. Out. You'll come crawling back within a week. And when you do, you'll face the consequences for your insubordination.”

“Am I really free to go, or will you try to sabotage me?” Weiss asked.

“I don't need to sabotage you,” Jacques said. “You'll crash and burn without me needing to.”

“Then I'll go, happily,” Weiss said. “And I'm never coming back.”

“And what a shame that would be,” Jacques scoffed. “I hope you enjoy freezing to death, fighting with stray dogs over morsels of food. Don't expect me to come rescue you from that demise. If you die out there, it's nothing to me.”

“You're right,” Weiss said, sarcastically. “You're an amazing father.”

“Hazel!” Jacques signaled. Hazel stepped in, awaiting orders. “Get this degenerate, pathetic, failed waste of space out of my sight. I want it off my property. As far as I care, it isn't a Schnee anymore.”

“Yes, sir,” Hazel said, grabbing Weiss once more by the collar.

“I can walk myself off the property,” Weiss said, struggling.

“I have my orders,” Hazel said, as he pushed her.

“Let me say goodbye to my mother and brother,” Weiss requested.

“My orders are clear,” Hazel said, refusing to argue.

Weiss saw Whitley, who looked towards her, terrified.

Then Willow, who was too intoxicated to notice what was happening.

Then Klein, who was helpless to stop Hazel.

“Klein!” Weiss called, urgently. “Take care of Whitley! Please!”

And then she was outside.

Getting closer and closer to the gates, and then she was violently pushed past them.

She tumbled onto the sidewalk, feeling her elbows and knees sting.

She looked up as Hazel closed the gate.

She stood, slowly, as her body screamed out at her, in pain.

And then it truly hit her.

She was homeless.

What was she going to do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that was a thing.  
> Um, yeah, so those of you that read the original were probably waiting for me to get to this point, as this marks the end of Part 1 of Chrysalis. I view Chrysalis as being comprised of 3 parts, so we're between a third and a fourth of the way through the story.  
> Weiss coming out and then getting kicked out opens the door for a lot of plot development and really kicks off some of the things I've been waiting to get to, and I'm really excited to hit this milestone in the story.  
> I'd also like to mention that the mood of the story is going to change a bit, Jacques Schnee will be taking a backseat as an antagonist, and for the next bit, it's going to be more of woman vs nature/the elements when she's not in school.  
> Finally, I'd like to give my audience a heads up, we are approaching a phase of the story where Adam Taurus will take a more central role as the antagonist, which will also be new for all of my readers, as Adam was hardly even present in the original. I understand Adam is a rather triggering character, and don't want anyone to be taken off-guard when he appears, so... yeah.  
> Anyway, uh, I look forward to your reviews, I'm guessing they'll be pretty interesting this chapter.  
> Next chapter is done and ready to publish, once I have time to, so it should be out in about a day.  
> Thanks for reading Chapter 26: This Is Me (and anyone who knows what I'm referencing with this chapter's title gets an internet cookie)


	27. The Self-Made Peasant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss does her best to survive her first night without a house, and gets advice from an unlikely source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, TW this chapter for homelessness (during a colder season, which is understandably an especially sensitive issue right now with what's happening in Texas), transphobia, depression and suicidal ideation, a mention of bugs (specifically maggots), anxiety, more mentions of Adam Taurus, PTSD, discussion related to trans bathroom/locker controversy, discussion related to sexual assault, a brief mention of Vic Mignona, mentions of being arrested, mentions of racism, mentions of physical violence, and intense language.
> 
> Also, one of my readers asked me if Penny was Black in this fic, and while I hadn't initially intended for her to be, I am all for that, and have decided that in this fic, she is. A few changes have been made to previous chapters to accommodate this.  
> Trans Women of Color, especially Black trans women, are an incredibly important part of our community and deserve far more representation than they have gotten. I only wish I had made this decision earlier, so that I didn't need to retcon it in now, and I'll do better about that in the future.

October was only days away from coming to a close, and Weiss could feel it based on the temperature. Nearby trees were losing their leaves, with the only ones still attached being a deep amber shade. Weiss didn't have any way of knowing the exact temperature, but she had to guess it was between fifty and forty degrees fahrenheit. She was grateful it wasn't quite winter yet, as she would be in an even worse position.

She was walking, to distance herself from the Schnee Manor that she no longer called home.

Honestly, though, had it ever really been her home? It was a house, yes. A mansion, yes. But she, being a nerd, was well aware of the literature implications when it came to the meanings of _home_ as opposed to a _house_.

Semantics aside, the point remained the same.

She was walking, yes.

But she didn't know where.

She didn't know where Robyn and her girlfriends actually lived, she just knew that they had offered her a place to stay.

She did know where Blake lived, and she had also now been to Ruby and Yang's house. She could probably make her way back there from memory, if she tried.

Something kept stopping her from making a decision.

Robyn, Fiona, Joanna, May, Blake, Yang, Ruby, Taiyang, Blake's parents, they were all good people.

Good people who were _struggling_.

Weiss had been working in everything she did to do better, to be less selfish, to improve the world around her rather than worsening it.

Unless she had a job and could pay, anywhere she stayed, she would be a burden.

 _Maybe_ she could have been okay with staying with Winter for free, if she was alright with it, for a brief period of time, but Winter lived in a dorm now. Weiss was clearly no college student, so that wasn't an option.

And she would have a hard time getting a job, as a minor, while homeless. Especially if Jacques was still willing to sabotage her. He had said he wouldn't, but she doubted his honesty on the matter.

She refused to be a burden. She had hurt Robyn, and May, and Joanna and Fiona. She had hurt Blake. She had hurt Ruby and Yang.

She had finally started to make up for that, and she wasn't about to undo all of that work by leeching off of their food and driving up their cost of living.

Not to mention, Jacques had gotten on her last nerve, by belittling her again.

This was her choice. She had chosen to leave Schnee Manor, and she wasn't going to pass the consequences of that onto anyone else.

She would prove that she was strong, and capable.

So she started to think about her options.

She knew, most importantly, she needed to find shelter. Somewhere that she could sleep. The sun wouldn't be setting until around eight thirty, so she just may be able to capitolize on the four hours until then.

She still had her backpack, and her jacket. These were her best assets, right now. Her jacket wasn't meant for winter weather, and would do little to help her when everything actually started to freeze over, but her father hadn't let her grab anything on the way out, so the jacket would have to work for now. Her backpack had no food, no water. It had two of her textbooks, a pencil, her school binder, her old clothes from the other night at Yang and Ruby's place, and five dollars she had left over from her shopping trip.

That was it.

That was almost nothing to go off of, and she had no idea what to do to get food.

She had enough money to buy her food for the night, maybe for a few nights if she rationed extremely well, but then she'd be left with nothing.

She cursed herself for never having learned any useful trades.

The only work her father had ever taught her to do, or even let her learn how to do, was office related. That'd be useless in terms of potentially making her any money.

She also realized she had no way of knowing the time.

She knew it was roughly four thirty, but with no phone, watch, or any other way of telling time, she was in the dark.

And if she was to make it into school, she needed to be awake in time.

Weiss took a breath, fighting the creeping feeling of anxiety.

 _Okay, Weiss, you're smart. You can figure this out. You need to prioritize_ , Weiss thought to herself. _You need to find a way of not only telling time, but being able to set an alarm, before the sun goes down, and you need to find shelter by the same time. Food and water are also important, but you've gone without them for a night before, you can do it again._

* * *

The first thing she figured out was shelter.

About a mile away from Schnee Manor was a shopping plaza, and people rarely ever went near the back. There was a thrift store, a dollar store, a grocery store, a gym, and a library in that plaza. The grocery store might be a decent place for her to get food, and the dollar store might have a cheap watch.

If she couldn't afford enough food, she may be able to look in the dumpsters, it was a start, at least.

She stepped into the thrift store first, hoping that maybe she could find something. She kept trying to brainstorm ways to raise money as she searched, so that perhaps she could buy food rather than scavenging it.

She eventually found what she was hoping for: an obsolete MP3 player, essentially a knockoff of the earlier iPod Touch models. It still worked, and could hold a charge for a few hours. She could charge it at school, hook it up to the library's wi-fi if she needed, and use it as an alarm.

The downside was that it would take all of her money.

It was old, and only had two gigabytes of storage, which left it with an awful value, so it was four dollars and fifty cents, which would leave her with almost nothing.

Either way, school was a way for her to be out of the cold for eight hours a day and get two hot meals, every day, so it had to be her priority.

She bought it and then stepped over to the library to charge it.

The whole time, she couldn't decide whether she felt as though she should feel satisfied with her efforts.

She had accomplished both of her top priorities, with relative ease, at that, but at the cost of access to food and water.

The money could have bought her dinner for the night and a bottle of water, but she had made her choice.

She sighed.

Schnee Manor was hell, and she was relieved to never have to go back, and if this was the price of that, she would easily take it.

She just felt worried.

She had traded stability for independence. Only time would tell if she would be able to sustain herself on that.

* * *

Around the back of the plaza, she started to form a plan of where to sleep.

There was an area behind the library's dumpster that didn't smell too awful, and it was realtively sheltered from rain. As long as she was careful not to be around when the garbage trucks came by, she would be able to stay there for a time.

She didn't, however, have anything soft to lay on.

The polished hardwood back home she had been sleeping on was cold and painful, but it was a step above concrete.

She looked over to the nearby thrift shop, thinking to herself.

She knew a fair detail of how places like that worked, donations were free and clothes were their main product.

But... was she really willing to steal in order to make herself more comfortable?

She already knew the answer.

It was like she had thought to herself earlier.

This was her choice and _she_ would suffer the consequences, not anyone else. Not a business, and certainly not some employee that could get in trouble if she stole something.

She had her backpack, that would make a decent pillow for now, and her jacket would hopefully keep her warm.

Next order of business was food.

She walked over to the dumpster behind the grocery store, making sure no one else was around, and then she lifted the lid.

She looked in and immediately, her senses were overwhelmed by the putrid stench of rotting food.

She dropped the lid, and backed away, doubling over as she retched violently.

It took everything she had not to vomit her lunch up, which would only make things worse.

After several minutes, she finally regained her breath, and hurried back over to the library, knowing she was out of luck for both food and bedding.

At least she could go into the library on occasion to use their bathroom and get water.

* * *

As the hours went by, she eventually decided she should use the library again before it closed.

She hurried in, getting a drink from the fountain, and then turned to use the restroom.

It just occurred to her, she was in full makeup, and still dressed in her feminine clothes.

She looked _better_ , but she knew she didn't pass as female, and she didn't look male either.

She had been avoiding the bathrooms at school as much as she could, occasionally requesting to use Goodwitch's neutral restroom.

But here, there was no such option.

As afraid as she was of using the men's restroom looking like she did, she was more afraid of being treated like a pervert or a predator.

She braced herself and stepped into the men's room, ignoring the uncomfortable stares as she made her way to a stall.

She was lucky this time, in that no one actually confronted her for being there, but she was terrified that she wouldn't be as lucky the next time.

When she made her way out, she realized another issue.

She had no makeup wipes.

She couldn't sleep in makeup, that would be terrible for her skin.

She looked around the library, hoping to find someone that may be able to help that wasn't hostile.

Luck continued to be on her side.

She saw a girl, maybe a few years older than her, with a laptop, sitting nearby. She had hair dyed blue, and was wearing a dark beanie. She was wearing a white tank top with a skull pattern on it, and torn jeans.

But what really drew Weiss to her, was her laptop. She had several stickers on it, including a rainbow one that said “I can't change. Even if I tried. Even if I wanted to,” an anarchy symbol, and a blue, pink, and white sticker that read “Trans rights are human rights.”

Weiss nervously walked up to her.

“Excuse me?” Weiss asked.

She looked up, pulling out her headphones.

“Yeah?” she asked, giving Weiss half of her attention.

“I'm so sorry to bother you, but do you have a makeup wipe I could have?” Weiss asked.

“Yeah, gimmea sec,” she said, opening her purse.

“Thank you so much,” Weiss said.

She held out the tissue, which Weiss accepted.

“No problem,” she said. “Peace.”

She put her headphones back in as Weiss walked out.

* * *

When Weiss woke up the next morning to her MP3's alarm, she was in excruciating pain. Her back was in agony from sleeping on the rocky ground, and she was absolutely freezing. She quickly opened her MP3 to its browser, which loaded slowly due to the poor connection from the library.

She searched for the Boise temperature.

 _It was thirty-six degrees fahrenheit_.

Soon, it'd be even colder, as November was approaching rapidly.

When it got here, she didn't know what she would do.

She pushed the thought from her mind, prioritizing nearer events.

She knew if her friends found out she was homeless, they'd try to help. She didn't want that, and she definitley didn't want them pitying her.

To keep up appearances, she would have to meet Blake at the bus stop, which meant she needed to hurry.

She made it about halfway when, much to her alarm, a familiar limosine drove by, quickly pulling to a stop.

Her blood ran cold.

The rational side of her brain knew that Jacques preferred to use his sports car to get around.

The rest of her brain panicked, as she considered the possibility that Jacques was going to drag her back to Schnee Manor, having changed his mind.

Then the door opened, and Whitley stepped out.

“There you are!” Whitley said, eyes wide. “I didn't think we'd find you.”

“Whitley?” Weiss asked, as Klein stepped out of the limo. “What are you two doing here?”

“I'm driving Master Whitley to school,” Klein said. “Are you alright, Miss Schnee?”

Weiss sighed.

“I'm not a Schnee, not anymore,” Weiss said. “Father made sure of that.”

“I tried to talk to him, but he was adamant in his decision,” Klein said, as he stepped up to her.

“I appreciate the intention, but I prefer this as well,” Weiss said. “I begged him to let me do this.”

Whitley's face fell.

“You wanted to leave?” Whitley asked.

“Of course I did,” Weiss said. “I'm sorry. I wish I could have found a compromise, but I couldn't take it anymore. It was killing me, Whitley. And I don't mean that metaphorically either.”

Whitley nodded, his expression devastated.

“I... I left early today,” Whitley said. “I wanted Klein to drive around a bit, so we could try to find you. I wanted to see you again, and also...”

Whitley opened the limo, grabbing a small bag from it.

“Klein covered for me while I got this. Winter's not going to use it anymore, and I think she'd agree that you should have it.”

Whitley handed Weiss the bag, which she opened.

Her eyes widened in recognition.

“Winter's makeup?” Weiss asked.

“Jacques was planning on throwing it away,” Klein said. “I told him I'd take care of it, weeks ago, but I left it there in case you ever needed it, and now I'm glad I did.”

Weiss felt as though she would cry.

“Thank you,” she said. “Both of you, thank you so much.”

“I know you're probably in a hurry,” Klein said. “I can drive you to school as well, if you'd like.”

“I'm going to the bus stop,” Weiss said. “Blake, one of my best friends, is going to be there, and I need her support after everything that happened.”

“Understood, madam,” Klein said. “I'm sorry I couldn't find you sooner. After school, I can come by your bus stop, I have a spare bedroom, if you need a place to-”

“I appreciate it,” Weiss said. “But I've got everything figured out. I really appreciate it, I do, but I'm okay.”

It was obvious that Klein could tell she was lying, but Klein knew better than to argue with someone like Weiss. She would only get more stubborn.

“Very well, madam,” Klein said. “Then please, be safe. Would you at least like some food?”

“I...” Weiss began, but her stomach growled rather painfully. “I wouldn't say no to that.”

Klein stepped back into the limo, opening one of the containers inside, and returned with a blueberry muffin and a bottle of water.

“I can't force you to stay somewhere you don't want to,” Klein said. “But I can and will give you as much as I can.”

Weiss fought the well of emotions that was already building up.

_Why am I so damn emotional lately? I hate this._

She accepted the food and water.

“Thank you, Klein,” Weiss said.

“Please,” Whitley said. “Be safe, Weiss.”

“I'll try,” Weiss said. “This meant the world to me. Thank you so much, and Whitley?”

Whitley turned back, as he had been stepping towards the limo.

“Yes, sister?” Whitley asked.

Weiss heart ached at the way he said it.

Normally his _'hello, brother'_ and _'hello, sister'_ were full of that cocky wholesome but pretentious Whitley attitude that she hadn't realized she loved seeing.

But this... this was defeated. He looked as depressed as she felt.

“You need to be safe, too,” Weiss said. She took out her MP3, opening up its messenger app. “There's an app, get it on your phone. Then look up _Myrtenaster_ , that's my username on there.

“ _Myrtenaster,_ as in that relic sword you keep on display?” Whitley asked.

“That's the one,” Weiss said, as she showed him the app. “If you need anything, even just to vent about father, I'm here for you, okay?”

Whitley nodded.

“Thank you,” he said.

* * *

Blake awoke to Paramore's _Ignorance_ , her alarm for Fridays. She had to admit, Paramore was a bit of an obsession of hers. Their _Monster_ was her Monday alarm, and Tuesday's alarm was _Crushcrushcrush_. Wednesday, she had Icon for Hire's _Sorry About Your Parents_ , and Thurdsays was Rise Against's _Help Is On The Way_.

Music, however, didn't ease her tensions this morning like it did most days, as she had been full of worry when she went to bed.

No one else saw it, but she herself could tell Yang was using humor to cover up her feelings. She was clearly not okay, repeatedly starting and stopping the investigation into Raven Branwen had to be emotionally exhausting.

Ilia was going through her own hell, trying to figure out her feelings about Weiss, Winter, and Ciel, all of whom had left deep emotional scars. Blake wanted to help, but ultimately right now, she wasn't what Ilia needed.

Weiss had just came out at school, and then gone home to her family, to that disgusting excuse for a father, and Blake had no means of communication with her, so she didn't know if she was okay.

Oh, and then there was the biggest source of her fear.

Adam.

He had been trying to get ahold of her every few days, and it was grating on her sanity. She needed him to back off, but the man refused to show her the distance she needed.

She was constantly looking over her shoulder, constantly concerned that he was going to confront her.

Constantly worried that maybe he would be more aggressive next time.

A soft _meow_ pulled her back into the moment, as Tex, her black cat, who was curled up _on her stomach_ , awoke and stretched.

Blake continued to lie in bed for a few seconds, taking in the last few seconds of relaxation she could.

They were quickly torn away when pain pricked her stomach, as Tex began to knead her, something she had never quite learned how to do with her claws retracted.

“Ow!” Blake winced, sitting up.

Tex stumbled off of her, annoyed.

“ _Mroow_ ,” Tex whined.

“I don't care,” Blake said. “You stabbed me.”

“ _Merooow_ ,” Tex argued.

“Fine,” Blake said, scooping her up. “You get a minute of cuddles, then I need to get ready for school.”

“ _Mew_ ,” Tex replied.

“You know I can't actually understand you, right?” Blake asked.

Tex switched to purring.

“Okay, fine, you're adorable,” Blake said. “I gotta get ready, though.”

Blake set Tex down, resulting in more annoyed _meows_.

She got dressed, today choosing one of her favorite shirts. It was essentially a black sleeveless top, except it did have sleeves, but they were fishnets. She paired that up with dark skinny jeans, and then got started on her makeup.

Maybe it was partially her mood enhancing her tastes, but she went all out with her goth style, using a matte-black lipstick, purple eyeshadow, thick eyeliner, and some slight blush to throw the look together. Finally, she used her setting powder, and mascara, before getting up to start her day.

* * *

When Blake neared the bus stop, her mind was racing with worry.

Sure, she usually beat Weiss here, but should she be concerned that she wasn't here yet?

She took a seat, anxiously fiddling with her purse.

To occupy her time, she checked to make sure she hadn't forgot anything.

Makeup, check. Wipes, check. Phone, check. Backup charger, check. Pepper spray, check. Brush, check. Gum, check. Spare housekey, check.

She sighed, zipping her purse back up.

“You look wonderful this morning,” Weiss said.

Blake jumped, alarmed.

“Sorry,” Weiss said. “I didn't mean to startle you.”

Weiss took a seat next to her.

“It's okay,” Blake said. “What happened?”

“Well, I got home, and it was a lot of the usual. My food is revoked, I'm a degenerate, I'm a failure, et cetra. He was angry, but when is he not?” Weiss asked.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked.

“All things considered, I really am,” Weiss said. “And, Whitley and Klein did me a few favors, and I'm now in possession of Winter's spare makeup. She'd probably want me to have it anyway, she's not going back to the manor ever again.”

“I'm glad,” Blake said. “I wouldn't put it on on the bus, though, it's hard to do makeup when you're hitting speed bumps every few seconds.”

“I need to shower first, anyway,” Weiss sighed. “Father's newest punishment is barring me from the shower until I agree to get a haircut. Basically, since the shaving threat didn't work, he's upping the ante.”

“Which shower are you gonna use?” Blake asked.

“I don't know,” Weiss said. “I've been having issues with that. I hate the idea of using men's facilities anymore, I feel so unsafe there, but I don't want to make women uncomfortable, and I don't want to get called a pervert, or something.”

“For one, you are a woman,” Blake said. “And if it helps, May, Neon, Penny, Jaune, and Mercury all use the locker rooms and bathrooms associated with their gender, and none of them have gotten in trouble for it. At least, as far as I know.”

“That doesn't mean it's safe,” Weiss sighed. “Goodwitch may support Penny, but I've heard she gets treated awfully in the locker room. And Jaune and Mercury have been bullied almost every day in the men's locker room. I'm not going to hurt anyone, I'd never do that, I just want to be able to shower safely.”

“Would it make you feel better if I was in the locker room with you?” Blake asked.

“I... I don't know,” Weiss sighed. “I also need to shave, and I feel like that'd be really not okay in the women's room.”

“We have stalled showers for a reason,” Blake said. “Privacy.”

“I just... really feel like it's not okay for me to be there,” Weiss said. “Does that make sense?”

“To be honest, while I hear you and I understand your points, that doesn't make sense to me,” Blake admitted. “But I'm cisgender, so I'm coming from a place of privillege.”

“I guess... maybe I can explain it better. I'd never hurt anyone, and I never would want to make someone uncomfortable,” Weiss began. “But a few people have said people like me shouldn't use their locker rooms and bathrooms, and they think that I'd be there to do... despicable things, awful things. I'd never do anything like that, but I don't want people to be scared of me. I don't want to make people feel that way, and the last thing I want is to invade anyone's space. You keep saying it's okay for me to be there, but not everyone sees it that way, and if there's even a single woman there that doesn't want me there... isn't it wrong for me to be there?”

“No,” Blake said. “You're a woman, Weiss. Trans women are women, and the school acknowledges that. You have just as much of a right to be there as me. If anyone there doesn't want someone to use the same locker room as them... they kind of just have to deal with it. For example, I've been harassed by Nebula, Cinder, and Carmine, almost every day since I came here, in that locker room. They've bullied me for not understanding non-mainstream sports, they've bullied me for my fashion sense, they've bullied me for being bisexual. But despite all of that, if I told Glynda I was uncomfortable being in a locker room with them, the only thing she could do is ask them to stop bullying me. You haven't harassed anyone.”

“Well,” Weiss said. “I've been discriminatory in the past.”

“And you're made up for it,” Blake said. “My point is that if they can make me feel awful every day but I can't do anything about it, I really don't think Glynda is going to throw you out for being trans when you haven't even done anything.”

“It's... different... for me,” Weiss said. “No, she can't stop them, but they haven't _sexually_ harassed you. A lot of peope would consider me to be sexually harassing them just by being there.”

“That's not what sexual harassment is,” Blake said.

“In Idaho, that's not quite clear,” Weiss said. “There's no law forcing schools to be supportive of trans students, it's completely up to schools themselves to decide. And frankly, even that is progressive, a few years ago, it wasn't even within their right to _allow_ trans students to use locker rooms and bathrooms compliant with their gender identity. I just wish there was a neutral option. I'm not trying to invade anyone's space, but I'm legitimately scared to change, or shower, around my male classmates. If I shower, and Henry, or Russel, or Sky, or Dove comes in, what then? Hell, what happens when Cardin comes back from his suspension, eager to get payback for me suspending _him_?”

“I'm sorry, Weiss,” Blake said. “I don't think I know the answer to this one. All I can say is that I'll support you either way, and that you do have a right to use the women's locker room, but I understand why you're hesitant to.”

Weiss smiled.

“Thank you, Blake. You always help brighten my day,” Weiss said. “I still don't know what I'm going to do, but it helps, knowing you've got my back.”

* * *

Weiss got in line in the cafeteria, trying to decide whether she wanted scrambled eggs or a cinamon roll, while idly chatting with Blake and Ruby about some of the anime they enjoy.

“So... they're trapped in a videogame?” Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yup,” Ruby said. “And if they die in the game, they die in real life.”

“Interesting,” Weiss said.

“I personally prefer _Soul Eater_ ,” Blake said. “It's got its problematic moments, most shows do, but it's really got my aesthetic.”

“Ooh, I can see that,” Ruby said. “Maka is one of my favorite anime characters, actually. Right between Deku and Edward Elric.”

“Okay, but _fuck_ the English VA for Ed,” Blake said.

“Oh, yeah,” Ruby said. “Fun fact, Qrow actually auditioned for the role.”

“Huh,” Blake said. “I can actually see Qrow pulling off Edward Elric. I think I'd prefer him as Dabi, in _My Hero Academia_.”

“Ooh!” Ruby said. “That's better, yeah.”

Weiss tuned out, not understanding anything that was being said. She got her food and stepped over to the checkout, swiping her student ID.

“Hang on,” the lunchlady said. “It declined. Try again.”

Weiss nervously swiped it again.

“Nope,” she said. “Sorry.”

“Maybe there's some kind of mistake?” Weiss asked.

“Says here you've got an empty student balance,” the lunchlady said.

_He... he cut off my food fund?_

“I see,” Weiss said. “Are there any other options?”

“You can talk to your parents about seeing if you qualify for financial assistance,” she said.

“Hey, hurry up!” Henry said, behind Ruby.

“Yeah, you're clogging up the line,” Dove said.

Weiss sighed.

She stepped away from the food.

“Hang on,” Blake said. “You're just gonna let her go hungry?”

The lunchlady sighed.

“We can't hand out free food,” she explained. “District policy.”

“Are you kidding me?” Blake asked, incredulously.

“Get out of the line!” Henry called.

“That's policy. Now either scan your card, or put your food back,” she said.

“It's not worth it,” Weiss said. “But thank you for trying.”

Blake begrudgingly swiped her card, and then proceeded to take a seat with Weiss.

“Did he cut you off?” Blake asked, as Ruby sat down.

“It looks like it,” Weiss sighed. “So much for getting two meals a day.”

“He's still not feeding you at home?” Ruby asked.

“No,” Weiss said, nervously. She started to try to figure out a plan. “Well, I still need to shower, and then I need to be in Qrow's class for announcements, since the vote gets confirmed today.”

Blake gave her a sympathetic look.

“We'll figure out something, okay?” Blake asked.

Weiss nodded.

* * *

She still needed to make a choice when it came to locker rooms, and despite all of Blake's advice, she still couldn't bring herself to use the women's locker room. She quickly showered and shaved in the men's locker room, then, upon realizing that her clothes still smelled of sweat and concrete, hurried to find Neon. She was grateful she had slept in her jacket, preventing the concrete from staining her shirt. Even so, she needed to find a way to clean her laundry, and she wouldn't say no to more clothing variety, if she could get it.

She found her on the way to Qrow's classroom.

“Hey, Neon,” Weiss said. “Do you have any perfume?”

“Do I?” Neon scoffed. “You want lemon, kaleidoscope, blackberry, or soft floral?”

“Um... soft floral?” Weiss asked.

Neon nodded.

“Have you used perfume before?” Neon asked, as she grabbed the vial.

“Not really,” Weiss admitted.

“Alright, I'll apply it, then,” Neon said. “Eyes and mouth closed.”

Weiss nodded, and she stood still while Neon sprayed her.

“Okay, you're all set,” Neon said. “Now, I think we need you for announcements.”

“Think I have enough time to do my makeup?” Weiss asked.

“Hmm... probably not, but if you want, I'm great at putting makeup on fast, I can do your makeup.”

“Let me do my eyes first,” Weiss said.

“You got it,” Neon said as they stepped in.

“Um... I don't actually have a compact,” Weiss said.

“I do!” Neon said, grabbing a small metallic circle with a rainbow design out of her purse.

Weiss gratefully took the compact, and got to work.

“Hey,” May said, taking a seat next to her. Neon sat on her other side, getting the other makeup supplies ready. “How'd things go with your father?”

“Awful,” Weiss said, carefully applying her liquid eyeliner. “He cut off my food money and he's not letting me shower at home.”

“Sounds about right,” May said. “You sure you don't wanna come stay with me and my girlfriends? Our shower can't pass a basic safety exam, but it's at least a shower, and a little cholera never hurt anyone.”

Neon, who had been taking a swig of her _Bang!_ Energy drink, choked.

“I'm kidding,” May said. “We all shower here, too. God knows we can't afford a hospital bill. We'd be fucked if a pandemic hit.”

“Well, good thing there's not a pandemic,” Weiss said. “A universe where that's going on just may be the only one worse than this.”

“My point is, you'd get a room, we have food, we have... well, blankets count as heating, so we have heating. And we have an entire house with no Jacques Schnees in sight, that's a pretty good plus,” May said.

“If I ran away to your place, father would likely send police into your house,” Weiss sighed.

“Yeah, like we haven't dealt with pigs before,” May said. “We'll hide you if that's what it takes. Look, Weiss, I've been exactly where you are right now. I promise you, it's not going to get better, not if you're still there.”

“I...” Weiss stammered. “I want to take you up on that offer, I do. But father never taught me any real skills. I'd be hopeless when it came to finding employment. I mean, a trans woman, arguably homeless at that point, who also needs to stick to a school schedule? Who would hire me?”

“Well, I'm a janitor at my local gas station,” May said. “It's not much, but it's honest work. If they'll take me, they'd probably take you, too.”

“I'd still take up space, and food, and...” Weiss said.

“Weiss, you have to stop,” Neon said, as Weiss put down her eyeliner and let her get started with blush. “Being trans is dangerous, and you need to accept help. Remember how I told you, people catching you when you fall is essential?”

“I refuse to be a burden,” Weiss said, trying not to move her face.

“For Christ's sake, Weiss,” May said. “Listen to me. As a trans woman, who has a family just like yours, I know what I'm talking about when I say, that attitude will only ever hurt you. When I first met Robyn, I wasn't old enough to get a job.”

“That's different, you weren't a burden,” Weiss said.

“To be frank, yeah, I was,” May said. “I was a fourteen year old kid that had just snuck onto a greyhound, and stumbled back into Boise. I was homeless for a week, and then my ass got arrested for stealing twenty bucks worth of food from a Wal-mart. And my _cellmates_ in the police station, of all people, were a tiny girl my age that had pickpocketted someone's jewelry and two girls, also around my age, who had beaten up some racist guy. I'll let you guess who they were, but when they took me in, I had nothing valuable to contribute. Not yet. But I did everything I could to help out, and _that was enough_.”

“May, this is different,” Weiss lied.

May sighed.

“Okay. I can't force you. Just give it some thought?” May asked.

“Okay,” Weiss said, knowing full well she had made up her mind.

She appreciated the thought, she really did, but her father's words must have hit her deeper than she thought.

She wasn't going to be the privilleged girl that just invades someone's house and takes advantage of all of their things. She couldn't bring herself to even consider the idea. And sure, May was in a similar situation, but May hadn't contributed to the toxic environment her rescuers were living in. Weiss, on the other hand, had been transphobic and bigoted for years.

She was going to make up for it in any way she could.

“Alright,” Neon said. “Just gotta put on your... setting spray? Damn, girl, you've got a nice collection.”

“It was-”

“Mouth closed,” Neon interrupted. “I promise you, you don't wanna taste setting spray.”

Weiss clsoed her eyes and waited for Neon to give her the all clear.

“Okay,” Neon said.

“It was my sister, Winter's collection,” Weiss said.

“Well, either way, hang onto this kit with your life, cause none of this is cheap,” Neon said.

“Yeah, trust me, you don't wanna use cheap makeup,” May said.

“What makeup do you use?” Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Cheap makeup I've learned to make look good,” May said. “It's like trying to do photorealistic art with dollar store knockoff crayons.”

Neon covered her mouth, as if a tragedy had fallen over her.

“Do you need better supplies? I'll share in a heartbeat, just say the word,” Neon said.

“I'd actually love that,” May said. “See, Weiss? _Accepting help._ It's important.”

Weiss checked her reflection, before looking back to May.

“I'd... I'd like to, okay? It's just not an option,” Weiss said.

“Hey, we need to start filming,” Qrow said.

“Who won?” May asked.

“You and Robyn,” Qrow said.

“Hell yeah!” May said. “Sorry, Weiss.”

“Don't be, I'm honestly relieved,” Weiss said. “Come to think of it, I doubt my father would still be willing to provide those donations anyway.”

“Then it's a good thing you lost, people would be pissed,” Neon said.

Weiss nodded in agreement.

“I'm honestly not too torn up,” Marrow said. “After Cardin, I'm just glad our president cares about helping her students.”

“You made me the same offer, when I was in a tricky spot,” Robyn said. “Anything you need, lemme know, and I'll make it happen, okay?”

“Thanks,” Marrow said. “Now, I think you ladies have a speech to record.”

“That we do,” May said, taking a seat next to Robyn.

“Alright,” Qrow said. “Neptune?”

“We're good,” Neptune said.

“Alright,” Qrow said. “Action.”

“Hello, Taylor High School,” Robyn said, smiling into the videocamera. “I know we all just experienced a very confusing month, and now that it's coming to a close, I'd like to thank you for voting for me. I may not be able to donate as much as our previous president offered, but I think we all saw that his promises fell short. Mine, however, will not. Effective immediately, I will be requesting that Principal Ozpin redistribute any remaining school budget donations left over from student president Winchester's time here to assist our wonderful Party Planning Committee, our Pride Club, and most importantly, getting repairs to the risers for our musical students. Any and all concerns that any of you have can be brought to myself, or to any of my cabinet. May Marigold, my vice president, is happy to hear from you all, and Fiona Thyme, my public relations official, is eager to help. It's been a rough year so far, so let's all work together to make it better.”

* * *

“I cannot believe he actually did that,” Penny said, as they climbed the stairs to the library.

“I'm honestly embarrassed that I was surprised,” Weiss said.

“I'm gonna punch him, I swear,” Yang said.

“What happened?” Ilia asked from behind them.

“Weiss' scumbag of a dad cut off her food money, so not only is he not feeding her at home, now she doesn't have food here, either,” Yang said. “Weiss, tell you what. When lunch rolls around, I'm gonna get you Subway or something, alright?”

“You don't need to,” Weiss said.

“When did you last eat?” Yang asked.

“Klein snuck me a muffin just this morning,” Weiss said.

“Okay, and before that?” Yang asked.

Weiss sighed.

“Lunch yesterday,” Weiss said.

“Yeah, you need food,” Yang said.

“I don't need you spending your money on me,” Weiss said. “You're already covering my costume, and that's plenty.”

“Yeah, tell you what. I'll consider letting you fend for yourself once you're not _being starved_. Until then, take the help, please?” Yang insisted.

“Weiss, can I have a word with you?” Ilia asked.

“Absolutely,” Weiss said, as they walked into the library.

“We're not done with this conversation,” Yang said. “Once you two are done, we're gonna keep talking.”

“Okay,” Weiss sighed.

Ilia led Weiss over to that secluded side of the room she always preferred.

“What's going on?” Weiss asked, as they sat down. “Is this about Winter and Ciel?”

“Nope,” Ilia said. “It's about you. Are you gonna tell them?”

“Tell them... what?” Weiss asked.

“Don't bullshit me, Weiss. I'm not stupid. You're starving. You showered here. Did your makeup here. Your pants are covered in concrete dust. You smell like concrete, trash, and way too much perfume. You're more exhausted than normal. And it's right after you came out, the thing Jacques would never approve of, above all else. Are you gonna tell them you're homeless?”

Weiss blinked, alarmed.

“Don't look so surprised, I was homeless for years, I know how to spot it,” Ilia said.

“I see,” Weiss said, uncomfortably.

“Some advice, you need to find a way to do laundry. The smell isn't too noticeable, yet. It'll get worse, though. And for the record, right now, they buy your cover story. Longer you keep it up, the less they'll buy it,” Ilia said.

“Are you going to tell people?” Weiss asked, nervously.

“Are you?” Ilia asked.

Weiss sighed.

“No,” she said. “Not if I can help it.”

“Alright, good luck with that,” Ilia said. “I won't tell anyone because it's not my place, but if you wanna survive, you'll need help.”

“I'll be okay,” Weiss said.

“You're a homeless trans woman in Boise, Idaho, with no trade skills and less muscles than a dead possum. You'll get slaughtered out there,” Ilia said.

“Ilia,” Weiss sighed.

“Why are you so determined to keep this a secret anyway?” Ilia asked.

“You said it yourself, I'm a Schnee,” Weiss said. “We've used people for years, and I don't want any part in it. I want to be a better person.”

Ilia's hostile demeanor faded away a little.

“Weiss,” Ilia said. “This isn't using people, this is asking for help. I'll be honest, I still resent you for the past, but... believe it or not, I don't want to hear on the news a few days from now that someone killed you over a turf conflict... or worse.”

“I appreciate that,” Weiss said. “But I'm not comfortable with taking up resources, not after how I've treated people.”

“I can see you're pretty determined to stick with that,” Ilia said. “Then at least take some advice from someone that's been there. Avoid the shelters. They're all super religious here, and you're trans. They've watched trans women freeze to death outside their walls and refused to lift a finger. At best, they'll let you in and try to convert you. You also need food. First, stop arguing with Yang. She's offering to buy you fresh food. _Take it_. As for later, you've got two choices. You can either steal it or eat out of dumpsters. Judging by how green your face just turned, you've tried the latter. You're risking getting really sick by doing that, so you should steal. Where are you staying?”

“By a grocery store, but-” Weiss said.

“Perfect,” Ilia said. “Don't steal from the store, based on how you were raised, you'd be the worst thief in the world. Here's what you're gonna do. You wait in the parking lot until someone comes out with a big cart full of stuff. You gotta be light on your feet. Just walk by when they're distracted. If they're on the phone or in the middle of something, it'll be way easier. Don't get greedy. Don't take more than you can _sprint_ with. Prioritize.”

“I can't just steal some innocent person's food,” Weiss said.

“Cool, that's fine,” Ilia said. “Hope the dumpster doesn't have a maggot infestation. You already have a water bottle, keep it. Refill it at water fountains, you need to stay hydrated. Outdoor fountains are about to go down because of the winter, so stick to indoor fountains. Stores, libraries, there's plenty of places that let you use them for free. Don't try to sleep anywhere with paid security, like a mall parking lot. They'll kick you to the curb. Look for a way to find heat, it's about to get below freezing out there.”

“How do I do that?” Weiss asked.

“Stock up on plastic bags, newspaper, foam, clothes, and line whatever you're sleeping in with it, for one,” Ilia said. “Stay well fed, provided you can stop being such a girl scout about stealing, and stay out of the snow once that starts. Last thing, you need to get the hell off the street before someone picks a fight with you. I promise, you'll lose.”

“How do I do that?” Weiss asked, her mind reeling from the huge influx of information.

“You _get over_ this dumb stubborn mindset you've put yourself in and let people help you,” Ilia said. “I happen to know Robyn offered you a place to crash. I bet Yang and Ruby would be happy to help. I also know for a fact Blake and her folks would, they once gave me a place to stay while I was homeless. They would have let me stay there much longer, too, if I hadn't needed space after the breakup. There's a lot of people that are actually willing to give your ass somewhere to stay, somewhere where you won't have to worry about _any_ of the things I just told you. Quite frankly, you'll either have to steal or accept help from your friends. If you're not willing to steal, then, and no, I'm not kidding or exaggerating, _you will die out there_.”

“I...” Weiss said. “I made the choice to be on the street. I chose to run away. I can't punish someone else for that.”

“Well, your choices are steal, accept help, or... well, there's one other option, but you won't like it,” Ilia said.

“What is it?” Weiss asked.

“Crawl back to daddy,” Ilia said. “And beg him to let you move back in.”

“I'm never going back there, I'll die first,” Weiss said.

“Then you need to compromise somewhere,” Ilia said. “All I'm saying is if I had friends like you do, when I was first homeless, I would accept their help.”

“I don't want to burden them,” Weiss said.

“You're homeless, Weiss,” Ilia said. “You don't get luxuries like wants and idealistic choices. You just kissed a huge portion of your privilege goodbye. You said you'd take the consequences of your choice? _These are the consequences._ Being picky will kill you. Being idealistic will kill you. You need to prioritize yourself.”

“I spent years prioritizing myself, and everyone else paid the price,” Weiss said. “Especially you.”

“I'm not angry at you for using resources, Weiss,” Ilia said. “And if you stole food from me to survive, I'd be fine with it. Prioritizing your _survival_ is different from-”

“I was prioritizing my survival,” Weiss said. “Ilia, my father put me in the hospital when he found out I was trans. You were the first real friend I ever had, you think I wanted to throw that away for something superficial?”

Ilia sighed. She looked down, letting her angry attitude fade away.

“Okay,” Ilia said. “I get it. And I understand why you're hesitant to steal, I do. You've lived in privilege for years, and it feels wrong to take from other people. People that very well might be struggling to make it. But here's the difference. If they lose out on a box of crackers or something, it's gonna suck, yeah, but they'll be okay. You, on the other hand? You have nothing left. You have no food, and when it gets cold, that's gonna hurt even worse. You can't generate body heat if you're starving. You need to do whatever you can.”

“I appreciate your advice,” Weiss said. “But I'll figure something else out.”

“Then do yourself a favor and accept Yang's offer,” Ilia said. “Because it'll be the last meal you get for a while.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's chapter twenty-seven, which almost ended with a bizarre bit that contradicted the genre (curse my unfocused brain being in an Ocean's Eight mood).  
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, let me know what y'all thought, and I'm gonna get started on chapter twenty-eight!


	28. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ilia confronts the demons of her past, and Ruby has her birthday party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for mentions of starvation, stealing, anxiety attacks, depression, mentions of being forcibly outed, mentions of transphobia and violence, themes of homelessness, and mentions of racism.

Due to both Yang and Ilia's insistence that Weiss accept Yang's offer, she had gotten a decent lunch, but was soon afterwards left on her own once more.

That afternoon, in the library in the plaza, Weiss was coming up with a priority list of things to get her hands on, so that she had a better chance of surviving.

So far, she had listed out a sleeping bag, another change of clothes, a warmer coat, and obviously, food.

With the small pile of coins she had left over from buying the MP3, however, she wasn't optimistic about her chances of getting any of the items on the list.

A sleeping bag would run her about five dollars at the thrift store. A change of clothes would be maybe ten dollars, if she was getting it secondhand. The coat, probably five dollars. She could get enough food to last her a week if she had fifteen to twenty dollars, and be able to get a water bottle in the process.

So, altogether, she needed about forty dollars.

She really wished she had reliable skills to help her. If she had ever learned to draw, like she had always wanted to, maybe she could do commissions, but that wasn't an option. She had nothing of value to sell, unless someone would be willing to buy Winter's makeup secondhand, which she doubted.

Not to mention, her makeup was one of her lifelines.

Panic started to swirl in her mind the more she realized she was out of luck.

Ilia hadn't been lying, there wasn't likely any real option that was morally acceptable.

She might have been able to seek legal help, if Jacques Schnee wasn't tied to the case. She was sure that if she tried to get legal assistance, he would bulldoze her odds.

She could beg for change... but as a trans woman in a conservative state, she was worried about the reactions she would face.

Weiss sighed, as the library grew close to time to close. She would think of something. She had to. She wasn't about to hurt others just because she had run away.

* * *

Weiss had gone without food before, but this was her first time hitting the twenty-four hour mark. It had been roughly eleven-thirty when Yang had bought her fast food, the previous day, and today, Weiss watched the minutes, the hours, slowly drag by, as she got ready to meet Ilia, Ciel, Blake, and Winter.

Not only did her stomach feel as if there was a flaming spear lodged in it, but she had started to feel dizzy. She had gotten used to disorientation, with how Jacques had been treating her, but this was worse.

Either way, she had to walk a mile to the meetup point, and every step felt like death.

What startled her, however, was when she was interrupted, about halfway there.

“Jesus, you look like shit,” Ilia said, as she came around a corner.

“I'm...” Weiss said, immediately regretting speaking. “I'm okay.”

“Weiss,” Ilia sighed. “You're clearly not anywhere near okay.”

“I will be,” Weiss said.

“Okay, fuck this. Come with me,” Ilia said, grabbing Weiss' arm. Ilia pulled out her phone, and Weiss saw her send Blake a text.

“What's-”

“Just letting her know we'll be late,” Ilia said. “You really picked an annoying time to grow a conscience.”

After about fifteen minutes of walking, Ilia led Weiss to a nearby street market, where several middle-class people were buying overpriced trinkets or organic fresh food.

“Will you please tell me what we're doing here?” Weiss asked.

“Just a sec,” Ilia said, as she stepped away from Weiss.

Weiss watched, confused, as Ilia started to move with the crowd, until she bumped into a man in a suit. Ilia apologized profusely, but what Weiss almost missed was Ilia slipping his wallet back into his pocket.

Ilia did this a few times, once with a gaudy woman that had a bejeweled purse, then with a rather familiar Marigold parent that had been passing through, and finally, with a group of teenagers that had clearly been pretty financially well-off, before making her way back to Weiss.

“Since I know you'd never take it if it didn't come from douches, I picked my targets carefully,” Ilia said, handing Weiss several five dollar bills. “Here's twenty-five bucks, half of what I got. The rest is a finder's fee. Eat something.”

They started to walk away, and Weiss wanted to argue, but her willpower had been steadily draining.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “I appreciate this, but in the future-”

“In the future, you need to be the one to do shit like that if you wanna make it,” Ilia said. “Now go get something to eat before you faint.”

Weiss begrudgingly did so, approaching a grocery store and coming out a few minutes later, having spent three dollars on a premade peanut-butter jelly sandwich. She also spent a dollar on a water bottle.

“See, there we go,” Ilia said. “You owe me one.”

“You didn't have to do that,” Weiss said.

“Yeah, well, I'm about to hold you accountable for shit, and no offense, but if you spent the whole time looking like that, I'd feel like I was kicking a sick puppy. You deserve to eat and I deserve not to be guilted through this. If you're smart you'll use the rest of that real carefully.”

“I plan on it,” Weiss said. “Even if it shouldn't be my money.”

“You want me to give it back to May's dad?” Ilia scoffed.

“No,” Weiss said. “But the others-”

“The others were clearly gonna be fine without it, I'd bet they never even realize it's gone. They won't miss it, and they probably got it by kicking people that weren't as lucky. Do yourself a favor and stop feeling sorry for capitalists, okay?” Ilia said. “Everyone I took from was basically Jacques Schnee lite, and I doubt you'd mind stealing from him, would you?”

Weiss sighed.

“No, I wouldn't,” Weiss admitted.

“Attagirl,” Ilia said.

* * *

Blake had gotten to the park right around when she got Ilia's text, letting her know that she and Weiss would be late.

As much as Blake wanted to know what activity would absorb both Ilia and Weiss for the time, she figured it best not to pry.

She waited on the park bench for ten minutes before a navy blue car pulled to a stop, and she saw Winter Schnee step out.

Blake had never seen her in person, just on the internet, as the Schnee family was relatively well known.

From the driver's seat, a shorter woman with a sienna skintone and short, dark hair stepped out. Blake noted that she also had a gold marking consisting of an oval surrounded by four small circles, in the center of her forehead. She was wearing a blue beret, and a white button down shirt with a light blue pleated skirt.

Winter looked around, trying to spot Weiss or Ilia, who were obviously absent.

“Hey,” Blake greeted, as she walked up. “I'm Blake, Weiss' friend.”

“Hello,” Ciel said, offering a hand. “My name is Ciel.”

“I'm Winter,” Winter said.

“Weiss and Ilia got caught up doing something, apparently,” Blake said. “They might be a minute.”

“I see,” Winter said. “Either way, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'd like to thank you for taking an interest in my sister. With everything she's going through, it's important that she has supportive friends.”

“Uh... no problem?” Blake said, awkwardly.

They all took a seat at the bench, and the next several seconds were quiet.

“Not that I'm against you being here,” Winter said. “But what brings you to the conversation?”

“I've been a friend of Ilia's for years,” Blake said. “I'm here to support her.”

“Ah,” Winter said. “How... has she been?”

“Honestly, she's been really struggling,” Blake said. “It's not my place to weigh in on this, so that's all I'll say.”

Winter nodded.

“Has she found a girlfriend?” Ciel asked.

“Well, she's found a few over time,” Blake said. “None of them lasted long. Most of them aren't really on speaking terms with her anymore. I'm the exception to that.”

“Oh,” Winter said, surprised.

Another minute went by, in awkward silence.

“I don't imagine you have a high opinion on me,” Winter admitted.

“Nope,” Blake said, bluntly.

“I can't say I blame you,” Winter said. “But I have every intention of fixing things.”

“Let's hope they can be fixed,” Blake said. “Hopefully it isn't years too late for that.”

Several more seconds went by.

“Regardless of my opinon of you, I'm glad you're off the street,” Blake said. “I don't think Weiss could take it if anything happened to you.”

“Thank you,” Winter said, just as inelegant and clumsy as Blake's own introduction had been. “I haven't had many opportunities to check on Weiss. How is she?”

“Well, she came out at school,” Blake said. “And it went pretty rough. She's made a lot of good friends, but she's made just as many enemies. I worry about her a lot, but with the right support, I think she'll be okay. Plus, she's the only Schnee I've ever seen work to actually fix their mistakes.”

After that, Winter didn't ask anything else.

Blake could tell she felt awful, but how was she supposed to look past the way years of seeing Ilia question her self worth had painted her opinions? Ilia's dysfunction during their relationship had originated largely from Winter, Winter was the one who hurt Ilia the most.

“If Ilia forgives you, then so will I. Weiss seems to think you've changed, and I hope she's right,” Blake said.

“I don't expect her to forgive me,” Winter said. “And I'm not here for her forgiveness. I'm here to try to amend the damage I've caused.”

“Good,” Blake said. “I hope you can.”

Winter sighed.

“How much did she tell you?” Winter asked. “I know she probably mentioned the bullying, but did she mention-”

“She told me _everything_ ,” Blake said.

Winter's expression of guilt worsened.

“I don't understand how you could do that to your best friend,” Blake said.

“I-”

“They are here,” Ciel said.

Blake and Winter turned to see Weiss and Ilia approaching.

Weiss looked tired. And she had her backpack, which was rather strange.

But Weiss had said it herself, Blake's attention should be on Ilia right now.

“Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?” Ilia asked, as she and Weiss sat down. Weiss sat on Winter's other side, and Ilia sat next to Blake.

“Ilia...” Winter said, her eyes going wide.

Blake had to give her this, at least; Winter's guilt was genuine.

“Stop,” Ilia spat. “I realize there's an eventual point we gotta get to, but you don't take priority. I've been through hell, because of you three. So wait your turn.”

Winter nodded.

“It's been, what, five years? Almost six? That's a hell of a long time to catch up on, so I'll do my best to summarize. Let's start with junior high, shall we? So, I came out to you, and then... well, you shunned me, and Weiss and Ciel had the decency to say that was enough. You, though, you took it so much further than that. See, the names? The slurs you threw at me in the halls? Those hurt like a bitch. But outing me to the school, that was the worst thing anyone's ever intentionally done to me.”

Weiss' eyes went wide in shock.

“You... you did what?” Weiss asked, horrified.

Winter was looking down at the table, unable to meet the eyes of anyone there.

“You didn't know?” Ilia asked.

“I never told her,” Winter admitted.

“Well, how about that,” Ilia said. “I'll admit, Weiss, I blamed you for complacency in that, too, so I'm sorry. Doesn't clear your name, but it's nice to know you didn't know about that.”

Ilia turned back to Winter.

“Not only did you take away the friends I had, in doing that, you ensured that I couldn't make any more, and then you and Ciel were whisked off to Taylor High. Did you know about my parents?”

“Yes... I did,” Winter said. “I heard about their passing. The moment it happened, I wanted to-”

“I'm not done,” Ilia said. “They were gone, and then I had no one. I was left to fend for myself, eating out of the trash, living off of the streets. I got into knife fights, I've been shot at, I've been arrested six times, my first girlfriend was a gang leader that got me into some really dangerous situations, I tried to go to orphanages but that only lasted so long before they threw me out because most of them around here are religious and don't take kindly to, well, Hispanic lesbians with a criminal record. I didn't find an actual place to stay that was truly stable until halfway through last summer. I still have nightmares about what you did to me, and about everything that's happened since that I should have had friends to get me through. I needed someone. Anyone. And you three, you all should have been there for me.”

Winter, Ciel, and Weiss were all quiet as Ilia's words sank in.

“Ilia,” Ciel said. “My behavior towards you was abhorrent. I know that an apology doesn't fix what happened, but I would like you to know that...” Ciel paused, fighting to drop her professional tone. “I want you to know that I'm sorry. You were one of the most amazing friends I've ever had, and I never should have abandoned you.”

“Neither should I,” Weiss said. “I was figuring out who I was, and I was scared, scared of what father would do, but I never should have gotten you hurt to protect myself. I'm so sorry, and I'll do anything I can to make it up to you.”

“Thank you,” Ilia said. “I appreciate it, from you both. But I really need to hear Winter's side of things.”

Winter nodded, as everyone went silent.

“You were my favorite person in the world,” Winter admitted. “You and Ciel understood so much about me that no one else did, especially you. For all of our differences, you were an amazing friend, one that I wanted to be more like, even though you were younger than me. And my reasons for doing what I did... they're complex, and ultimately none of them are justification. When it comes down to it, all I should have done is support you. I have no excuse, I have no alibi, I have no justification. I let you down, I hurt you, over and over, and I am so sorry.”

“Why?” Ilia said. “I wanna know why you did it. I wanna know why you didn't care about me. I wanna know why I spent every night crying myself to sleep, _alone_.”

“Because I was hiding from myself,” Winter said. “I had already known, deep down, that I wasn't the straight girl Jacques wanted, and when you told me that you were _like me_ , I was scared. I was scared that maybe being around you would make it harder to keep lying to myself, and I was scared of how Jacques would react to you being gay. I pushed you away to save myself. Like I said, it doesn't justify my choice, there is no justifying it. It was wrong, and it was vile, and I promise you, Ilia, I have hated myself for making those choices ever since I made them.”

Everyone went quiet.

After several seconds...

“I had been friends with Winter since I first set foot in a school,” Ciel admitted. “I've always struggled with change. When she made her choice, I was afraid of losing her as a friend.”

Blake winced. That had been the wrong choice of words.

“Oh, you were?” Ilia asked. “I'm so sorry, losing a friend must be a _terrifying_ concept. I can't imagine what that's like.”

“I can't change what's happened,” Winter said. “And neither can she. But we're here now, and whatever you want or need, I'm willing to do it to help you.”

“And if you're willing to give it a try, I know we'd all really like to be your friends, once we make it up to you,” Weiss said.

“You don't understand,” Ilia sighed. “I can't just pretend none of this ever happened. You left me on my own for years, how am I supposed to just go back to-”

“It won't work like that,” Blake interrupted. “It would take a lot of effort, from all of you. You have every right to be hurt, but if that's all you're thinking about, you'll never get better. I know you, Ilia. I know you want them back. Please don't sabotage yourself.”

“Why would I want them back?” Ilia snapped. “Why would I ever want them back?”

“Because you care about them,” Blake said. “And because you've been hurting for years, wishing things had been different. You told me, time after time, that you'd give anything to have them be back in your life and have them accept you. _You can have that, Ilia_. You've wished for this longer than we've known each other.”

Ilia looked down.

“I don't know how to forgive them,” Ilia said. “I want to, but I'm still angry.”

“That's okay,” Winter said. “I hurt you, really bad, it's perfectly reasonable that you'd be hurt and angry.”

A tear rolled down Ilia's cheek.

“All I wanted was for you all to be there by my side,” Ilia said, as she wiped her eyes. “I've been so scared, and... lonely... and you were supposed to be my family! How could you abandon me?”

Winter stood, quickly moving around the table, to sit on Ilia's other side.

“Can I?” Winter asked, offering out her arms.

Ilia looked up, surprised.

And then, Ilia buried her face in Winter's shoulder, as Winter held her.

“I'm so sorry, Ilia. I know I hurt you, and I will work to make it up to you every day of my life if I have to. And if you can never forgive me for what happened, then I won't blame you,” Winter said. “It was wrong, and it was evil, and I would take it back in a heartbeat if I could.”

“We're all willing to do whatever it takes to fix this,” Weiss said.

“I agree,” Ciel said.

“Okay,” Ilia said. “I'll... I'll give this a chance. I've missed you all, and I want... to have what we used to... so I'll give this friendship a chance... but if things look, even a little, like they're gonna go how they did before, I'm not waiting to get burned again.”

“I don't blame you,” Winter said. “And I'll make sure that doesn't happen.”

“Okay,” Ilia said, pulling away from Winter.

“Is there anywhere you'd like to go?” Winter asked. “I know you always enjoyed Box Lunch.”

“I've grown out of that,” Ilia sighed. “I haven't done much for fun in a while, haven't had the money for it.”

“Perhaps we could go bowling?” Ciel offered.

“I'd really like that,” Ilia said.

“Would you like to join us?” Winter asked, turning to Weiss.

“I'd love to, but unfortunately I'm busy for the rest of the day,” Weiss said.

“Oh?” Winter asked. “Would that be with your friend? The two of you are definitely cute together.”

Blake blushed.

“We're just friends, Winter!” Weiss protested.

“I'm joking,” Winter smiled. “But if I crossed a line, I apologize.”

“You didn't,” Blake said. “And... thank you, for being reasonable with Ilia. I'm glad Weiss isn't the only Schnee that's changed.”

* * *

Weiss watched as Ilia, Ciel, and Winter all drove off.

“So, more plans with your father?” Blake asked.

“Yes,” Weiss lied. “It's been practically nonstop. It was difficult for me even to sneak out for this, and I'm going to have to figure out the same thing for Ruby's party tomo-”

Weiss' words died in her throat as she realized she had made a fatal mistake.

“I need to get Ruby her present,” Weiss said.

“You know she doesn't expect anything from you, right?” Blake asked. “Just you being there will be plenty.”

“She's been an amazing friend, you all have,” Weiss said.

“You're broke,” Blake said bluntly. “You can't even afford food, and speaking of which, I was wondering... are you sure you have to go back? I know Yang would be down to hang out, and you could get a real meal.”

Weiss sighed.

She wanted to accept. Not even for the food, but to be around her favorite people in the world, but it would completely contradict the lie she was trying to sell.

“I really wish I could,” Weiss said. “But I can't. I've got a little bit of money, and that could get Ruby something.”

“If you have money, you should use it to get food,” Blake said.

“I'm fine,” Weiss said. “Ilia... bought me lunch.”

“And we both know humans happen to require more than just one meal a day,” Blake said, the slightest bit of snark in her voice.

“I promise, I'll be okay,” Weiss said. “I appreciate your concern, but please let me figure this one out.”

Blake rolled her eyes.

“Okay,” Blake sighed. “Oh, Yang also still needs to get your costume, which she needs your sizes for.”

“Costumes use a really basic size, right?” Weiss asked.

“Yeah,” Blake said.

“Medium should work fine,” Weiss said. “If it gets more specific, I'm a women's 7-8 in... well, the main measurement system I've ever used.”

“How are you so tiny?” Blake asked.

“I was really fortunate,” Weiss said. “Winter got all of the... tall genes, I guess. Whitley and I are both incredibly small, which has been frustrating to him but a relief to me.”

“Are you sure you can't join us? I know costume shopping would be more fun with you with us,” Blake said.

Weiss felt the last of her will give out.

“I... I think I could... maybe... join you for now,” Weiss said.

“Really?” Blake asked, surprised.

“I really enjoyed the other day, and I've been wanting to have more days like it. So, if I get in trouble, I get in trouble.”

“Hey, one of these days, we'll get you away from that scumbag, alright?” Blake asked.

Weiss nodded as Blake pulled out her phone.

* * *

“Hop in, losers!” Yang called, grinning. Weiss and Blake piled into her car, as she took a swig of her cherry Pepsi. “Let's figure out costumes. I've got most of mine put together, but I got a question. Think they'll let me bring gun props?”

“Nope,” Blake said as Yang began driving.

“Shame,” Yang said. “Oh, well.”

“So, where exactly are we going?” Weiss asked.

“Right, you've never been costume shopping,” Yang said. “So, every year, some poor building that recently lost a business, and therefore is abandoned, gets temporarily turned into a Spirit Halloween store. Somehow, this store always looks the exact same on the inside. Don't ask how, I honestly don't know. That's where we're going. And this year, it happens to be right next a thrift store, so any non-official costume parts might be better bought there.”

“Zoe hasn't been mainstream for almost twenty years,” Blake said. “So I'll probably need to buy her costume from scratch.”

“Any guesses on who anyone else is going as?” Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Cardin was going to go as Iron Man,” Weiss said. “Apparently he spent a couple hundred bucks on a cosplay-quality suit. I don't think he'll be allowed to attend, however.”

“Oof,” Yang said. “Sucks to be him, but somehow, I don't feel bad.”

“Ilia is going as Catra, from She-Ra,” Blake said.

“Ooh,” Yang said. “I can see that. Coco and Velvet are going as Harley and Ivy.”

“I heard,” Blake said. “Honestly, they're perfect to pull that off. Who is going as Harley?”

“Is that even a question? Coco,” Yang said.

“Fair,” Blake said.

“May and her girlfriends are going as Greek goddesses and characters,” Weiss said. “May is Aphrodite.”

“I can see that,” Blake said. “Emerald and Mercury are going as Maka and Soul.”

“Who?” Weiss asked, confused.

“Ruby would burn you alive if she heard you ask that,” Yang chuckled. “They're from an anime called _Soul Eater_.”

“Oh,” Weiss said.

“Yatsu has the better anime costume, though,” Yang said. “He's going as Guts from _Berserk!_ ”

“I overheard what Henry and the twins are going as,” Weiss said. “Henry is going as Spock from _Star Trek_ , because of course he is. The twins are going as the Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty respectively.”

“Sounds about right,” Blake said. “Honestly, I'm actually really excited for this. Usually I'm not a parties and dances kind of girl, but Coco and her friends really put a lot of work into this, and I'm excited to see it pay off.”

Yang pulled the car into the parking lot, and they all stepped out.

“I had a question,” Weiss said. “What would be a good gift idea for Ruby?”

“Uh,” Yang said. “Are you even able to?”

“Yes, I am,” Weiss said. “I've got a few dollars, and I refuse to show up empty-handed.”

“Weiss, I know Ruby appreciates the sentiment, but you kinda need to-”

“I have enough to get food, as well,” Weiss said.

Yang folded her arms.

“Okay, if you're really serious about this, just get her cookies,” Yang said, as Blake held the door for them. “Albertsons sells these bags of cookies for, like, two and a half bucks apiece. They come in chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and M&M. That absolute weirdo actually likes all of them equally, I swear to god she's the only person I've ever met that likes oatmeal raisin.”

“Cookies? That's all she would want?” Weiss asked.

“From you, yeah,” Yang said. “They're cheap, so just pick a bag. She'd be upset if you ended up going hungry because you got her something overpriced. And she bulldozes through snacks, so I know she'll enjoy them.”

“Okay,” Weiss said, still unsure.

Before she could say more, she decided to take in the store, extremely puzzled by the layout. She had seen Halloween decorations before, but nothing like this.

Mock tombstones lined one of the aisles. Giant skeletons sat on shelves and boxes, fake webs lined the entrance, and an animatronic desplay was full of witches, on their brooms.

“This is...” Weiss said, nervously.

“Crazy cool, right?” Nora Valkyrie asked, from behind them. Weiss turned around to see Nora wearing the uniform of the store, with a lanyard on. “You all sure waited until the last minute.”

“How long have you been working here?” Yang asked, surprised.

“All month,” Nora said. “Ren just got a job at Jamba, so I figured I could use some part-time cash, too. So, you three picking up some costumes?”

“That's the plan,” Weiss said. “If you have her, still.”

“Who?” Nora asked.

Weiss blushed, embarrassed.

“She's looking for Elsa,” Blake said.

“Ooh, we have plenty of Elsa costumes,” Nora said, leading them over. “Y'all are lucky, you got in like the day of a resupply. We were, like, empty yesterday. I'm guessing this is your first time having a Halloween while out of the closet?”

“This is my first time celebrating Halloween, at all,” Weiss clarified.

“Oh,” Nora said, shocked. “That's... that's awful.”

“Father doesn't like holidays,” Weiss sighed. “So we've never celebrated them.”

“Well, that's dumb,” Nora said. “Oh, have you seen Frozen II yet?”

“I can't say I have,” Weiss said. “I watched the first movie in secret, I honestly didn't even know the sequel was out yet.”

“Really?” Yang asked. “Shit, you gotta see it. It was way better than the first.”

“I also think you'll really enjoy one of the songs,” Blake said. “If you thought _Let it Go_ was a queer song, you need to hear _Show Yourself_.”

“I wanna just whisk you over and show you all the movies you're missing out on,” Yang said. “It blows my mind that you've hardly seen anything at all.”

Weiss picked up the dress, checking the size.

“Our fitting rooms are towards the back,” Nora said.

“We need to find you a wig, too,” Yang said. “Looks like you're going for _Let it Go_ ice dress Elsa, I'll find one that'll match.”

“You planning on getting heels, too?” Blake asked, as she looked through costumes herself.

“I'd like to, but I don't have any experience in walking in them,” Weiss admitted. “Winter got me wedges, but they're not quite the same.”

“Neon and Coco might be able to help,” Nora offered. “They're uncanny. I, on the other hand, wear sneakers to formal events.”

“Who can blame you? Heels suck,” Yang said. “Biking boots are the most comfortable choice, plus they look badass.”

“I'll be right back,” Weiss said, as she stepped into the changing room.

She quickly got into the costume, and turned to look at her reflection.

Dysphoria crept up her, bringing every insecurity back into view, but this time... it wasn't as intense. Her makeup helped to lessen the impact, and maybe with the wig and the right work, she could feel confident in this costume.

Even so, she felt deeply uncomfortable with the thought of any of her legs being visible, as they were. She would need to get her hands on pantyhose, or find a way to take care of her leg hair.

“So, what are you going as?” Yang asked.

“Oh, Ren and I are going as Overwatch characters,” Nora said. “I'm gonna be a genderbent Junkrat, and he's going as Hanzo.”

“Ooh, you'll have to get a picture with Ruby, she's going as Tracer,” Yang said.

“I'm already Tracer,” Blake muttered, in a sing-songy voice as Weiss stepped back out, once again wearing her normal clothes.

“Did you just... did you just reference Tik-Tok?” Yang smirked.

Blake blushed.

“Tik-Tok? That is _The Living Tombstone_ , you heathen!” Nora protested.

“I use the internet,” Blake said, defensively as she continued to look through costumes.

“I swear, you're all speaking a foreign language,” Weiss said.

“See, _Weiss_ strikes me as more of a Tik-Tok gal,” Yang said.

“What does that mean?” Weiss asked, puzzled.

“It's a social media app,” Blake clarified. “Very vaguely similar to Vine.”

“Vine...” Weiss said, confused.

“Okay, what social media do you use?” Nora asked.

“Twitter,” Weiss said. “And on rare occasion, Facebook.”

“Ok, we've gotta get you a Tumblr blog,” Blake said. “And... never use Facebook again, ugh.”

“Of course you're on Twitter,” Yang laughed. “You poor, deprived girl, you need to get on Instagram, Snapchat, and so much more. We gotta get you a phone.”

“I actually got an MP3,” Weiss said. “I should be able to use social media there.”

“No kidding,” Yang said. “Alright, friend me on everything.”

“Right...” Weiss said. “What... do you even do with that many accounts?”

“Depends on the app,” Yang said.

“Hey, here we go,” Blake said, holding up a wig modeled after Elsa, but clearly named to avoid copyright. She handed Weiss the _Cold Princess Wig._

“So, I think that's everything you'll need,” Yang said. “We can hop next door for your heels, they're not gonna have those here. And I got everything I need. Nora, wanna ring us up?”

“I'd love to,” Nora grinned, as they walked back across the store.

“Cool,” Yang said, and then set everything down on the counter.

* * *

“Alrighty,” Yang said. “I can hang onto that for safekeeping.”

“That would be preferable, thank you,” Weiss said.

“So, you got two options,” Yang said. “I could run you back home, or you could come hang out with us, stay the night, and watch _Frozen II_ , which will be a lot more fun than that colonel Sanders wannabe.”

“I don't know,” Weiss said, as they began to drive.

“We could invite Neon or Coco over and have them teach you how to walk in heels,” Yang said. “And there'd be food.”

“It sounds wonderful,” Weiss said. “But last time, the consequences for staying over were... incredibly severe.”

“I won't force you to,” Yang sighed. “I just think it'd be a lot better for you than going back there.”

“I'll be alright,” Weiss said. “Despite everything, something tells me I won't be seeing much of my father tonight.”

“Okay,” Yang said. “I still expect you over for a movie night sometime soon.”

“No promises,” Weiss said.

* * *

Yang had dropped her off back at the park, where Weiss waited until Yang had driven off, then began to walk home to her miserable sanctuary... or at least, the pitiful excuse for one.

She bought her sleeping bag, a grey pea-coat that was decently warm and surprisingly fashionable for its price, a cheap change of clothes (to preserve her money, she bought a plain t-shirt and a rather boring pair of black pants), Ruby's cookies (one bag of chocolate chip, one bag of oatmeal raisin), and dinner for the next few days: a box of crackers and a bag of cheap, awful-quality jerky. Right now, quantity had to take priority, so as gross as it was, it kept her full enough that her stomach wasn't in pain as she drifted off in her sleeping bag that night.

The next morning, she felt a little more optimistic, being slightly better equipped now. She still had three dollars left, which she guarded carefully.

She waited for the go-ahead from Yang, and then walked down to her house.

“Hey, Weiss!” Ruby greeted, as she opened the door.

“Hello, Ruby,” Weiss smiled. “I apologize for being early.”

“No worries,” Yang said. “Your costume is in my room, I can grab it if you want, also feel free to shower.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said. “Could... I ask one more favor?”

“Sure,” Yang said, as she and Ruby continued to play _Lego Indiana Jones_.

“Father's also trying to restrict my access to our laundry, would it be alright if I used your machine?”

“Of course,” Yang said. “I'll show you where it is once you're out.”

Weiss nodded, appreciatively.

Yang paused the game and hopped up.

“Lemme grab your costume,” Yang said.

“Thank you,” Weiss said. She then turned to Ruby, who waschecking her phone. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks!” Ruby said. “See, now I'm fifteen, so I'm only a year off.”

“But... Blake and I are turning seventeen at the start of the next year,” Weiss said, raising an eyebrow.

Ruby blew rasberries in response.

“Not my fault you're all old,” Ruby said.

“Old?” Weiss scoffed, playfully.

“You're all old, and it scares the hell outta me,” Tai said, stepping in from the kitchen. “I wish you all would just stop growing.”

“I would if I could,” Weiss said. “I don't look forward to figuring taxes out.”

“I thought you were supposed to be a genius,” Ruby smirked.

“And?” Weiss replied. “Taxes are Greek to me.”

“Can't you speak Greek?” Ruby asked.

“That's beside the point,” Weiss said.

“Whoa, Greek?” Tai said, sitting down with a root beer in hand. “You're all way smarter than I was when I was your age. I learned a little Spanish in seventh grade, but none of it stuck with me.”

“Lástima. Podríamos haber hablado de Yang a sus espaldas,” Ruby said.

Tai raised an eyebrow.

Ruby sighed.

“I said we could have talked about Yang behind her back,” Ruby explained.

“Yeah, Yang tried to get me to learn Mandarin for the same reason,” Tai said. “Like I said, you're all way smarter than me.”

“What about Yang?” Yang asked, stepping back into the room.

“Nothing,” Tai sighed.

“Sure,” Yang rolled her eyes. “Weiss, your costume's hanging from the door in the bathroom.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said, before hurrying in.

* * *

Ruby had an interesting relationship with her birthdays.

On one hand, a whole day, just about her? That's amazing!

But on the other hand, a whole day, _just_ about her? How terrifying.

She was glad there wasn't going to be a lot of people over, she didn't think she could handle that level of attention.

To be honest, she hadn't really had many friends back in her old grade, so it had been relieving to her that she was doing so well socially now.

Not long after Weiss stepped out of the bathroom, looking alarmingly accurate to Elsa herself, minus the giant eyes and plus the scar, Ruby hurried into her room to change into her own costume.

Some people bought used costumes.

_Not Ruby_.

She had handmade her Tracer costume, buying parts from various stores and having learned sewing techniques years prior from Qrow.

She gelled her hair into Tracer's ridiculous spiky hair that would make even most anime protagonists jealous, and then turned on the LED display, causing the outfit's _chronal accelerator_ , a blue disc-shaped part on her chest, to glow in a similar fashion to in the game.

Grabbing the replica pistols that she had collected, she stepped back out, eager for everyone to see her hard work pay off.

“Holy shit,” Yang said, as Ruby vaulted over the couch and sat, cross legged. “This may be youre best costume so far.”

“Once dad lets me go to Blizzcon, I'm wearing this,” Ruby said.

“That is phenomenally well made,” Weiss said.

“Thanks!” Ruby grinned. “Your costume looks great too, by the way.”

“Really?” Weiss asked.

“Yup,” Ruby said. “Elsa was a perfect choice for you.”

She had just finished speaking when there was a knock at the door.

Yang opened the door, letting in Jaune, who was in costume as Hiccup from _How To Train Your Dragon_ , complete with a cheap flaming sword toy.

“Hi,” Jaune greeted awkwardly.

“You capture Hiccup's awkwardness perfectly,” Yang said.

“I what?” Jaune asked, surprised.

“Alright, I'd better get changed,” Yang said. “And then we gotta get decorations set up.”

“I'd be happy to help,” Jaune said.

* * *

Over the next hour, Yang practically had to force Ruby to keep playing Overwatch while they set up decorations, a strange mix of Halloween and birthday aesthetic.

As was tradition, there was both a birthday cake and a homemade pumpkin pie.

They had readied the candy bowl for Tai and Qrow to be occupied with all night, on the porch. In front, Qrow was hooking up a favorite of his, an animatronic crow decoration, roughly the size of the average Christmas Tree, with glowing red eyes, which would squalk at anyone who passed by.

Tai's decorations were a series of tombstones, each sporting a pun that always made Yang chuckle and Ruby groan (for example, one of them said 'My fate was a grave one').

Yang, who was much more interested in genuinely scary decorations, had always favored a prop zombie that appeared to be crawling out of the ground, and would reach up menacingly at people who passed by.

Ruby liked more lighthearted decorations, and had spent yesterday setting up several comedically posed prop skeletons around the yard, many appearing to play golf or cards.

Several Jack-O-Lanterns decorated the walkway leading up to the house, each one carved by one of them. Ruby's was a carving made in the likeness of All-Might from _My Hero Academia_. Yang had hooked hers up with a red electronic light rather than a more organic-looking source, and designed it to resemble the iconic Terminator skull, with half of it modeled after Arnold Schwarzenegger's face. Taiyang's had been nostaligic, a Darth Vader carving he had done every year and gotten rather skilled at. Qrow, who hadn't been particularly skilled at carving, had attempted to do a Joker Lantern, but it ended up looking more like a generic smiling Jack-O-Lantern.

Inside, the decorations weren't as Halloween centric. Balloons decorated half the room, most of them red, Ruby's favorite color. Streamers littered the walls, and most would be forgiven for assuming that this was a party for a ten-year-old.

Taiyang had always been a firm supporter of the idea that you don't 'grow out' of things like birthday parties, and always made sure to go all out for Ruby's parties. He would have done the same for Yang, had she wanted it.

As the day grew later, Ruby's friends began to arrive. Penny was the first of everyone that hadn't been there to help set up. As promised, her costume was phenomenal, something that Ruby hadn't thought would be possible for a Jenny costume. Minutes later, Neon came dressed as Harley Quinn from _Batman: Arkham City_. Ren and Nora arrived in their respective Hanzo and Junkrat costumes, and Ruby wasted no time getting pictures with them. Yang had left to pick up Blake around five minutes before Penny had arrived, and Ren and Nora had just finished getting pictures with Ruby when Blake and Yang got back.

Ruby immediately got her costume, much to Blake's relief.

“Happy birthday, Ruby,” Blake said. Blake set her present on the dining room table, where everyone else had set theirs, save for Weiss.

“So, now that everyone's here, what do you wanna do first?” Neon asked.

“Are you kidding me?” Ruby grinned. “Presents. Do I look patient to you?”

“Who first?” Yang asked.

“Penny!” Ruby said, yanking said girl to her side with an amused grin.

Penny smiled, nodding.

Yang handed her Penny's present, a box that was thin, but both long and wide.

Everyone in the room except for, maybe, Weiss, knew immediately that the loud noises from inside whenever the box was tilted were a partial giveaway.

Nevertheless, Ruby pulled the green and silver wrapping paper away, and her eyes went wide in surprise, as she saw the LEGO set inside.

“The... the Millenium Falcon?” Ruby gasped. “Penny, this... do you know how expensive this had to-”

“Of course,” Penny said. “I had to save up a considerable allowance, and ask father for an advance, but I believe it was worth it.”

“But...” Ruby stammered. “Penny...”

Penny smiled as Ruby struggled to pick her jaw up off the floor.

“Thank you, so much,” Ruby said.

“There is one caviat,” Penny said. “I want to assemble it with you.”

“Done,” Ruby said. “That's gonna be a blast!”

Weiss turned to Yang, confused.

“How expensive was that?” Weiss whispered.

“About eight hundred bucks,” Yang replied, also in a whisper.

Weiss' shocked expression caused Yang to laugh, amused.

“Alright, who next?” Yang asked.

“Um,” Ruby said, unsure. “Neon.”

Yang handed her a large box, wrapped in rainbow wrapping paper.

Ruby tore away the paper, looking in even more shock at Neon's gift.

“How much did you all spend on me?” Ruby asked, embarrassed.

“We're teenagers,” Jaune said. “This is, like, the one time we can spend our money like this. Soon it'll all go to bills.”

“But-” Ruby said.

“No buts,” Neon said. “You said earlier you didn't have it yet and I think that's a crime.”

Ruby nodded, unsure of how to respond, as she looked back down at the virtual reality headset Neon had gotten for her PS4, with a copy of _Beat Saber_ and _Vader Immortal_.

“If it makes you feel better, as I no longer have access to the Schnee fortune, my gift wasn't expensive,” Weiss said.

“Weiss, if you got me an expensive present right now, I think I'd force you to return it,” Ruby smiled.

“Ooh! Me next!” Nora cheered.

Ruby accepted the Box Lunch bag, and gleefully pulled out a CW _The Flash_ jersey.

“Nora, this is perfect!” Ruby said.

“I knew it would be,” Nora said, grinning ear to ear, them playfully added; “It might not be worth NASA's fortune, unlike some presents.”

“Oh, come on,” Neon said. “It wasn't _that_ much.”

Ruby was in the proccess of opening Ren's present, a smaller gift, which was clearly a set of videogames.

Sure enough, beneath the green and pink wrapping paper was a copy of _Assassin's Creed Origins_ and _Assassin's Creed Odyssey_ for the Playstation 4.

“Thank you, Ren,” Ruby said. “Gaah, not enough people like these games.”

“I'm happy to talk to you about them again, any time,” Ren said.

As Ruby opened Blake's gift, Blake nervously waited.

“I know you said you love to read,” Blake said. “I'm not the biggest _Star Wars_ fan, but I found these to be really well-written.”

Blake had gotten her several _Star Wars_ books, which Ruby held to her chest.

“I can't wait to read them, thank you!” Ruby said. “And you know I'll geek out with you while I do.”

“You'd better,” Blake said, smiling.

“Okay, how about Weiss next,” Ruby said.

Weiss nodded, opening the front pouch of her backpack.

“Like I said, it wasn't expensive,” Weiss sighed.

“Well, believe it or not, I didn't befriend you for your money,” Ruby said.

Weiss held out the bags of cookies, which Ruby immediately accepted _and_ opened.

“No one ever gets me raisin!” Ruby said. “Thank you, Weiss!”

Weiss sheepishly nodded. Yang could tell she felt bad about not having gotten Ruby an expensive gift, and hoped that it wouldn't weigh on her too much.

“Okay, Jaune,” Ruby said. “You're up!”

Jaune nodded, eagerly passing Ruby two smaller boxes, each wrapped in gold and white wrapping paper.

Ruby quickly found herself in possession of two LEGO _Overwatch_ sets.

“Everyone acts like you can be too old for these,” Jaune said. “And I think that's lame.”

“Right!” Ruby agreed. “This also completes my collection!”

“Alright, just one more thing,” Yang said. “I didn't wrap them, but you'll hopefully like them either way.”

Ruby waited as Yang pulled several tickets out of her pocket.

“Next summer, we're going to comic con,” Yang said. “You, me, dad, and one friend of your choice.”

“Penny,” Ruby said, without hesitation. “Wanna come with?”

“I would love to!” Penny smiled.

“Thank you, Yang!” Ruby said, as Yang put the tickets away in their 'Important Stuff' drawer. “I can't wait!”

“Well, you're gonna have to,” Yang said. “And between costumes and those, I'm just about broke for now, so no one ask for anything until after Nondescript Winter Holiday, cause I'll be saving up for presents for the next month and a half.”

“Fair enough,” Blake nodded.

“Thank you, all of you,” Ruby smiled. “Now, let's do some _Halo_!”

* * *

Weiss, predictably, did horribly at _Halo._

For the first bit of time, they did team matches, and Weiss wasn't too worried about looking bad, but eventually they switched to a tournament-style game, and Weiss had her first (and last) match against Nora, who unapologetically annihilated her.

Blake was the next one out.

Penny, Ruby, Nora, Neon, and Ren made it much further than the rest, but eventually Nora emerged as the victor.

Ruby, who was as good a sport as ever, congratulated her by giving her the second slice of cake (Ruby got the first, obviously).

Weiss looked at the cake, confused.

“This... is cake?” Weiss asked, confused.

“Duh,” Yang said. “What does it look like, pasta?”

“It just... there's no fondant,” Weiss said, puzzled. “And it... actually tastes good.”

“Weiss, have you... never had a non-decorative cake?” Blake asked.

“I guess I haven't,” Weiss said. “I didn't know there was other cake.”

“That... actually makes way too much sense as a metaphor,” Yang said. “We'll have to introduce you to ice cream cake.”

“Cheesecake first,” Neon said.

“Ugh, no way!” Nora said.

Neon gasped.

“Traitor!” Neon exclaimed.

Weiss blinked, confused.

“Suffice it to say, you've missed a lot,” Blake said. “We'll catch you up.”

“Well, in that case, I look forward to it,” Weiss said.

“You've got a lot of firsts to look forward to,” Ruby said. “Speaking of which, when's your birthday?”

“Oh,” Weiss said. “May fifteenth.”

“Good, we have plenty of time to get it ready,” Yang said.

“So,” Ruby said. “It's movie time, and so I'm putting on a favorite of mine.”

Ruby put a blu-ray disc into the Playstation as everyone took a seat, and then she set up _Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse_.

“Ruby?” Penny asked. “I have difficulty processing sound sometimes, would it be okay if we used subtitles?”

“Absolutely,” Ruby said, as she turned them on. “Has anyone never seen this before?”

“Well, Weiss probably hasn't,” Yang said.

“I haven't,” Blake said. “I'm not the biggest superhero fan.”

“Oh, if there's just one superhero movie you ever watch, it should be this one,” Ruby said. “It's so good.”

“So, Spider-Man,” Weiss said. “I never quite understood, he got bitten by a spider, and now he can shoot webs?”

“That's only the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man,” Ruby clarified. “Most versions use synthetic webs. The bite gave him strength, enhanced reflexes, the ability to climb surfaces, and enhanced senses.”

“But... how do most of those relate to spiders?” Weiss asked, confused.

“Welcome to comic books,” Yang said, amused. “Plus, this Spider-Man can also turn invisible, and produce electricity.”

“Oh...” Weiss said, puzzled. “Like... every spider can.”

Ruby laughed at Weiss' confusion as the movie started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so before I get too far into this, if anyone is interested, I just started a new Tumblr blog specifically about my writing, and on this blog you can submit any questions you have and I can reply without needing comments to do so, and I can also share my art tied to this fic. I'll be more easily reached through this app than on Ao3, so anyone who is interested, go ahead and go to http://mhunter99-writing.tumblr.com and give it a look. There's not a whole lot there yet, but as I publish, I'm going to post notifications of my updates and new stories there, as well as various art that I do, including art of Chrysalis characters.  
> Thanks for hearing me out as I sponsor myself.  
> I've gotten into so much high school-oriented media for this fic. My fiancee got me into One Tree Hill a while back, and we've just started Glee. Not to mention, I decided to pick 13 Reasons Why back up (what can I say, I like my really dark media). Despite all three of the above being pretty problematic at points, they do help me fill in some of the blanks (guess who dropped out in junior high?)  
> Anyway, thank you for reading this chapter, I'll be releasing the next chapter in a few minutes, so stay tuned.


	29. The Halloween Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss and her friends attend the Halloween Dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this chapter gets a bit heavy so please read the trigger warnings  
> TW this chapter for Adam Taurus, mentions of domestic abuse, gaslighting, mentions of child abuse, transphobia, mentions of homophobia, night terrors, vivid and disturbing dream sequences, mentions of alcoholism, glass-based injuries, abandonment, misgendering, deadnaming, mentions of racism and police violence, mentions of assault and battery, intense gender dysphoria, ableist language, physical violence, PTSD, mentions of gun violence, mentions of drug use and dealing, mentions of sexism, mentions of permanent eye injury, mentions of a protest gone wrong, polyphobia, discrimination against the homeless, and stalking.

“You sure you don't wanna stay over?” Yang asked, as Ren and Nora headed out. “You look like you could really use it.”

“I would like to, but my father would fly off the handle,” Weiss sighed.

“More than he already will?” Blake asked.

Weiss tried to think of another excuse, but nothing came to mind.

“Please, just do yourself a favor for once,” Yang said.

“You've seemed so happy tonight, that doesn't have to end yet,” Ruby chimed in.

“Plus we get to be in costume all day tomorrow, not just at the dance,” Yang said. “So you'll wanna be with us in the morning so you can get your costume.”

Weiss nodded.

“Okay,” Weiss said. “I'll stay over tonight.”

“Badass,” Yang said.

“I heard you haven't seen _Frozen II_ yet,” Ruby said. “We can watch it if you want.”

“It's your birthday, Ruby,” Weiss said. “I'd rather watch something you-”

“I wanna watch _Frozen II_ with you,” Ruby said. “And if it's that much of a problem, then you can make it up to me by playing _Overwatch_ with me next time you come over.”

“You still only have one TV, and only one console,” Yang said.

“Right,” Ruby said. “Um... we'll take turns.”

“I suppose I could give it a try,” Weiss said.

“Cool,” Ruby said, as she switched out the movies. “Blake, you wanna stay?”

“If your father would be okay with that,” Blake said.

From the kitchen, Tai laughed.

“You think I'm gonna tell Ruby no, today?” he smirked. “Not in a million years. I've seen how difficult she can get on her birthday.”

“It's true, I can be a nuisance when I wanna,” Ruby agreed.

“Then I would love to,” Blake said.

* * *

Weiss hadn't seen a lot of movies, but she had to say that this one might be her favorite of all time, so far at least. True to Yang's words, it was better than the first. Before she drifted off to sleep, she went onto her music app and added _Show Yourself_ , _Into the Unknown_ , and _The Next Right Thing_ to a playlist of favorite songs she had been building. So far, the playlist included _Fight_ by Icon for Hire, _Whatever it Takes_ by Imagine Dragons, _Don't Let Me Down_ by The Chainsmokers, _Because of You_ and _Behind These Hazel Eyes_ by Kelly Clarkson, _Monster_ by Paramore (which she had overheard Blake listening to and enjoyed greatly), and _Car Radio_ by Twenty-One Pilots.

And then, exhausted, Weiss changed into her newly cleaned clothes, specifically her polo and khakis, because she wasn't about to sleep in her just-cleaned nice clothes.

The next thing Weiss knew, she was walking down the street.

The sky above was pitch black, without a single star or cloud in the sky.

The sidewalk and streets were covered in about an inch of snow, which felt as though it was eating into her feet.

Her feet had started to turn from pale to pale blue, as she was barefoot.

No, that wasn't right.

She wasn't just barefoot.

She was completely naked.

She looked around, worried someone would see her, worried that someone would see the parts of her that she desperately wanted to get rid of.

But that's when it hit her.

There was no one else.

The streets were truly empty.

The only noise was her breath as she shivered, and the crunching of snow underneath her numbing feet.

She... didn't even know where she was. The area bore a resemblance to the area of downtown that she was familiar with, but all of the houses were... off. The doors didn't have doorknobs, the addresses didn't match up.

The nearest street sign was several feet ahead, and she squinted to make out what it said.

But the more she focused on it, the clearer it became that there weren't any words on the sign. It was a blank green sign.

She felt panic begin to rise up within her.

Then, she heard it.

A second set of footsteps.

She whipped around, trying to find the source of them, but no one was around.

The footsteps got a little louder, a little faster.

“Is anyone there?” Weiss called out, before going silent in shock. Her voice was deep, and awful, it sounded vaguely similar to Mr. Ironwood's voice.

And then, when she turned back around, what was in front of her had changed.

Schnee Manor was directly in front of her. She was just within the gate.

She turned and ran towards the gate, trying to escape, but the gate got taller as she got closer to it.

“Weiss?” Yang's voice asked gently, piercing the night.

Weiss sat up, alarmed, as the world around her changed.

With the blink of an eye, she was on Yang's couch, and everything that came before started to fog over, becoming unclear.

Yang was leaning over her.

She could smell the telltale signs of Taiyang's cooking.

She let out a relieved breath.

“Sorry,” Weiss muttered. “Nightmare.”

“No sweat,” Yang said. “Wanna hop in the shower?”

Weiss nodded.

* * *

If there was anything Weiss wished she had thought through by the time they arrived at the school, it was her shoes. She should have worn her dress shoes to school and then changed, but she had foolishly thought that walking three-quarters of a mile in three and a half inch heels would be fine...

It wasn't.

Her feet were cramping, and she was pretty sure she was forming a blister.

“Hey, ice queen,” May said from behind as Weiss and her friends approached.

“Damn,” Yang said, surprised. “Y'all look great.”

May was wearing a Greek chiton, wedged sandals, and had a rose tucked behind her ear, which Weiss recognized as one of the symbols of Aphrodite.

Robyn's hair was down for once, and she wore a Greek dress cut at her knees, for ease of movement. A laurel wreath crown sat atop her head, and she had a fake bow and quiver on her back. Weiss was aware that she was obviously Artemis.

Joanna was wearing a chestplate, shoulder armor, and knee armor, all bronze, and had a spartan helmet on her head, though it was pulled back, as was common in depictions of Athena.

Fiona had a headpiece with six long spikes pointing out from it, and wore a crimson dress, with a fake snake wrapped around her arm. It took Weiss a moment before she recognized this costume as Hecate.

“I'm sure Oobleck will be ecstatic to see your costumes,” Weiss said.

“If he wasn't obsessed with United States history, sure,” May sighed. “Greek history was more of a last year thing.”

“You're not wrong,” Blake agreed.

“So,” Robyn said. “Tracer, Elsa, Zoe, and Sonya?”

“You know Zoe?” Blake asked.

“I'm a nerdy lesbian, of course I do,” Robyn said.

“One question,” Weiss said, as they took a seat in the cafeteria. “How does anyone stand these?”

She took off the heels, giving her feet a moment to rest.

“We don't,” Joanna said. “Heels are torture, fuck 'em.”

“Yup,” Fiona said.

“It's just a matter of practice,” Coco said, sitting on Weiss' other side, with Velvet following closely behind.

Coco was in costume as Harley Quinn from _Harley Quinn_ , as in the animated series. Velvet, themed after Ivy, had sprayed her hair crimson, and was wearing green-themed makeup, having also gotten her hands on a green leather jacket.

“Okay, at what point does it stop hurting?” Weiss asked.

“Stop hurting?” Coco chuckled. “It doesn't. But with time, you get used to it.”

“I see,” Weiss said.

“Just stay away from corsets. Heels are a walk in the park by comparison,” Coco said.

“On the note of fashion, I was hoping I might be able to get a second lesson today,” Weiss said.

“Meet us in the library at lunch,” Coco nodded. “I'll show you plenty.”

“Well, student president duty calls,” Robyn sighed, as she stood. With a playful smirk, she turned to Weiss. “Hey Schnee, wanna grab me an energy drink?”

“Nope,” Weiss said. “I will never be anyone's assistant ever again.”

“Fair,” Robyn said. “May, gimme a hand.”

* * *

Flynt and Neon were serving as the DJ's for the party, dressed as Freddie Mercury and Harley Quinn respectively.

Weiss hadn't been to any school parties before, Jacques had always considered them a monumental waste of time. She knew Blake was just as unfamiliar with them. Yang, on the other hand, was in her element.

“Hey, Pyrrha!” Yang called as they stepped in, shouting over _Spooky Scary Skeletons_. “Nice costume!”

Pyrrha, who was dressed as Joan of Arc, waved.

“Thank you!” she replied.

Weiss sighed, looking at Ruby and Penny, who had shuffled off to the side of the gym to be out of the spotlight.

They seemed to be having a great time, which was more than she could say.

Showing up had been a big step for her, but the payoff was less than worthwhile. The music was deafeningly loud, it was crowded, and there wasn't much to actually do aside from dance, which she was bad at _without_ heels.

“So, I'm unfamiliar with parties like these,” Weiss said. “Is there supposed to be something romantic going on?”

“For a dance like this? Nah,” Yang said. “You're thinking of prom or homecoming.”

“Right,” Weiss said. “So... what do... we do during this?”

“See the costumes, bob for apples, chill with friends,” Yang explained.

As if to punctuate her point, Dove Bronzewing pulled his head out of a barrel filled with water, an apple in his jaws.

“That sounds... sanitary,” Weiss said.

“There's a costume contest,” Yang said. “With prize money.”

“I doubt my store-bought costume will be taking home any awards,” Weiss said. “Honestly, if Penny or Ruby don't win, I'm going to be very disappointed.”

“Good point,” Yang said.

“Sup?” Sun asked, as Blake turned around. Sun was in an orange tunic, with his hair gelled up in a spiky fashion.

“What are you supposed to be?” Weiss asked.

“Come on,” Sun said. “I'm Goku. It's a pun. Plus, I'm the only guy around here with the abs to pull it off.”

“Yeah, well, at least you didn't get stuck as Aquaman,” Neptune groaned, from next to him.

“Listen, he's way overcriticized,” Sun said.

“Sure,” Neptune said.

“So, Yang, you're Sonya from _Kombat_ , right?” Sun asked. Yang nodded, giving finger guns and a clicking noise as confirmation. “And Weiss is Elsa, obviously. Blake, uh... I'm blanking. Blaking?”

“Don't do puns, they don't work for you,” Blake said. “I'm Zoe from _Firefly_.”

“What's _Firefly_?” Sun asked.

“Dude, you're embarrassing me,” Neptune said. “You're gonna get my nerd card revoked.”

“No way, you've got tenure,” Sun said.

“So,” Neptune said. “How've you all been?”

“Oh, you know, same as usual,” Yang said.

Weiss nodded.

“Yeah,” Blake said, awkwardly. “What about you guys?”

“We've been arguing,” Sun sighed. “Trying to figure out the ideal winter date.”

“Skiing,” Neptune said. “Skiing is perfect.”

“But that's not something we do _together_ ,” Sun said.

“What do you think, I'm gonna go a day after you? Of course we'll be together,” Neptune said.

“But we won't be talking. Nondescript Winter Holiday movie marathon, cuddled up on the couch, with hot cocoa and cookies, _that_ is the perfect date,” Sun said.

“But it'll be so boring,” Neptune groaned.

“Maybe you two could go sledding instead of skiing?” Blake suggested.

“That's... not bad, actually,” Neptune said.

“And then if you still wanted todo the movies, maybe you could get another couple in on it and play board games while it's going?” Yang offered.

“That'd make it more exciting,” Sun nodded. “Thanks, guys.”

“Anytime,” Yang said. “Maybe Coco and Velvet will be down.”

* * *

Yang watched as Ruby and Penny walked around, making conversation with people in an attempt to get their costumes seen. Weiss and Blake had sat down off to the side, both on the awkward side when it came to events like these.

“Okay,” Yang said. “You two. You're the most awkward people I've seen all day, and I'm Ruby's sister.”

“I'm just... not a social person,” Blake admitted.

“Fine,” Yang said, rolling her eyes. “Lame, though.”

“Hey, Yang!” Nora called, from the dance floor. “Get over here!”

“See ya' soon,” Yang winked, before she hurried up to join Nora, who was with Pyrrha, Fox, and Scarlet.

Fox was wearing a _Daredevil_ costume, while Scarlet was dressed as Peter Pan.

“Finally, some people with energy!” Yang exclaimed.

* * *

Blake sighed, trying not to let the booming noise overwhelm her.

“So, this is an interesting first dance,” Weiss said.

“Yeah,” Blake said. “Is that even dancing?”

“More like... just a lot of jumping,” Weiss said.

“Shame I missed homecoming,” Blake said. “I've always been curious about that, it's huge in TV.”

“I wouldn't know,” Weiss admitted. “I didn't go.”

“Your dad?” Blake asked.

Weiss nodded.

“I hear Coco's putting a lot of work into junior prom this year, though,” Weiss said.

“When is prom?” Blake asked.

“Towards the end of the year,” Weiss said.

“You gonna go?” Blake asked.

“Possibly,” Weiss said. “I would enjoy the idea, but from what I understand, you're supposed to bring a date.”

“Yeah, that's... ugh,” Blake said. “When did everything in society become about relationships? Between stuff like this and getting a place to live, getting a loan, just about anything, it's all designed to be easier for couples. Don't get me wrong, I'm still interested in dating, it just feels like I'm supposed to rush into it.”

“Yeah, it's all bullshit,” Emerald said. “Everyone's focused on some kind of fairy-tale romance that never works out.”

“Never?” Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Think about it,” Emerald said. “Adult couples are never happy. And if they are, something awful happens. And all for some silly obsession with love? Nah, I'm better off without it.”

“Are you aromantic?” Blake asked.

“Yup,” Emerald said. “And like you said, society isn't really a fan of that.”

“So did you go to homecoming?” Weiss asked.

“Not in a million years,” Emerald said. “Merc and I found something better to do.”

“I'd like to go to prom, for the experience,” Blake said. “I just don't like the idea of hooking up with someone just for an event. Like, if it's meant to be, you shouldn't need a dance to start the relationship. And I feel like all that does is encourage a bunch of people to rush into relationships they don't actually want or feel invested in, just so they aren't 'that lonely kid'.”

“I'll be honest, I still have a rather... romanticized view on things like that,” Weiss said. “But I of all people should know that's more of a movie trope than anything else.”

“You have a romanticized view on dances?” Blake asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Disney movies were a lot of my secret interest, when I started to figure out my gender identity. I guess I just... I'm drawn to the idea of someone sweeping me off my feet and doing all of these silly romantic things,” Weiss said. “It might also just be insecurity. I've been raised to have to think of myself as the one that's supposed to be Prince Charming, so I yearned to be more of the princess.”

“I'm not against romance,” Blake admitted. “Honestly, when it's done right, I really enjoy it... it's just a rough line. Some people really take things too far because they're convinced it's romantic, when in reality it's... a huge violation of boundaries.”

“Oh, yeah,” Emerald agreed.

“I really like to reference _Beauty and the Beast_. Some people argue that Gaston is the villain, while others try to claim that it's the Beast. I feel like people get so caught up in arguing, and seeing it as either tradition or a hot take, when honestly... both of them cross lines in ways that really aren't alright. Gaston doesn't respect Belle's consent, and neither does Beast. That movie is based around the logic that abuse is okay if you've been hurt in the past, if you're still a good person deep down. Beast holds her hostage, but in the end he's a prince that wouldn't take things as far as Gaston would, so we're supposed to see him as the hero, and people thrive off of that.”

“I haven't ever really focused on that movie,” Weiss admitted. “But you're honestly not wrong.”

“I can still understand where you're coming from, though,” Blake said. “So, out of curiosity, are you hoping for a knight in shining armor, or a damsel in defense?”

Weiss dropped her empty soda cup in surprise.

“What?” Weiss asked, stunned.

“I just never knew your sexuality,” Blake said. “Before you came out to me, I thought you might be gay, but I think that was just the feminine vibes I was misinterpreting.”

“I swear to god, if you say you're a straight girl, I'm gonna freak,” Emerald said.

“Why?” Weiss asked, puzzled.

“Because I don't need to owe Mercury even more,” Emerald said.

“You're absurd,” Weiss scoffed, chuckling.

“What are people for if not to bet on?” Emerald asked.

“I honestly don't know,” Weiss said. “I'm still trying to figure that out. I'm pretty sure I'm attracted to other women, and I can't place where I stand on men.”

“Wherever you end up, you'll always have my support,” Blake said.

“I...” Weiss sighed. “I love the idea of being swept away by a prince... but I don't know if that's how I really feel, or if that's more of just... wanting to be seen as feminine.”

“Okay, well, think of it this way,” Blake said. “Is it strength that you're drawn to?”

“I think so,” Weiss admitted.

“If it was a strong woman sweeping you off your feet, would you feel the same way as if it was a man?” Blake asked.

Weiss blushed.

“No, not at all,” Weiss said. “For a man, I'd appreciate the gesture, but it doesn't... give me that butterflies-in-my-stomach feeling...”

“But if someone like Nora did it,” Blake said. “Or Yang.”

Weiss' blushing worsened.

“Um...” Weiss stammered.

“Weiss, I hate to break it to you,” Blake grinned. “But I think you may be a lesbian.”

“You... may be right,” Weiss said, nervously.

“If it helps, remember sexual attraction and romantic attraction aren't always the same,” Emerald said. “I'm sexually only into women, but I hate all romance equally.”

“I don't know where I stand, sexually,” Weiss admitted. “Until I get surgery, if I even can, the thought of doing anything sexual...”

Weiss looked nauseated at the thought. She immediately pressed her legs together.

“It... makes my dysphoria get so much worse,” Weiss said.

“That's okay,” Blake said. “Weiss, when you get a girlfriend, if she's decent at all, she'll never try to pressure you. And if she does, you find someone better, okay?”

Weiss nodded.

“Thank you, Blake,” Weiss said. “How did I ever get a friend as amazing as you?”

It was Blake's turn to blush, slightly. She looked away, hoping the poor lighting of the room would cover it up.

“Hey, I'm gonna go grab a new soda from the machine in the hall,” Blake said. “Be right back.”

Blake hopped up, walking over to the door.

She stepped into the hallway, her ears immediately thanking her as the music became muffled behind the gym doors.

She hurried over to the vending machine, looking over the options.

“I didn't know Halloween was your holiday,” a voice said from behind her.

_No._

_Not again._

Blake couldn't believe it.

She could already see his reflection in the vending machine's glass pane.

She swallowed, hard, before she turned to face him.

“Relax,” Adam said. “All I want is to talk.”

“Adam,” Blake said, nervously. “I told you, I don't want to talk to you. Not now. Not ever again.”

“Why can't you just give me a chance? We had something amazing-”

“We had something toxic,” Blake said.

“Toxic?” Adam scoffed. “Look, we both had some issues, but I loved you, I still-”

“Don't,” Blake said. “ _We_ didn't have issues. You did.”

“Can't you just be mature about this, for once?” Adam retorted. “I can admit I was partially responsible, but it takes two to screw something like that up.”

“What, then?” Blake asked, as she slowly reached for her purse. “What did I do that messed anything up?”

“How about not trusting me?” Adam asked. “You would always act like I was dangerous, and you would hide behind your parents-”

“You were nineteen, and I was a teenager, Adam! My parents didn't want us dating, and I should have seen that they were right!” Blake said.

“You're a teenager, yeah, but you're a lot smarter than most people your age, can't you-”

“Stop it,” Blake said. “I was too young. No excuses. I'm still too young for you. And even if that didn't matter, you were-”

“I was what?” Adam scoffed.

“You were abusive!” Blake snapped.

They both went silent.

“I was abusive?” Adam said after a few seconds. “I was passionate, that doesn't make me-”

“You would yell at me when I didn't want to do what you wanted to,” Blake said. “You separated me from my friends and family.”

“I never hit you,” Adam said.

“There's more kinds of abuse than physical,” Blake said. “You verbally abused me. You insulted me when you didn't approve of me. You would call me stupid. You gaslit me. You groomed me. You manipulated me. You wanna know why I don't want to talk, Adam? It's because you aren't direct. You get people to hear you out, and then you slowly twist them from the inside.”

Adam rolled his eye.

“That's not what happened,” Adam said. “You're remembering it wrong-”

“You're trying to gaslight me right now!” Blake snapped.

Behind Adam, Yang stepped out of the gym.

She turned, seeing the two of them. Yang hadn't ever seen Adam, but Blake's expression made it obvious.

“Blake, is everything okay?” Yang asked, as she walked up.

“Private conversation,” Adam interjected.

“Was I asking you?” Yang asked.

Adam scowled.

“Yeah,” Blake said. “It's gonna be fine. As soon as he leaves.”

“Blake, why can't you just hear me out?” Adam asked, as he reached out, to try to grab Blake's arm.

Blake stepped back, grabbing the pepper spray from her purse.

Without hesitating, she sprayed him in the face.

Adam roared out in pain as he stepped back.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Adam shouted, letting out winces of pain after he spoke. He was doubled over, clutching his eye.

“Leave me alone,” Blake said, her tone deadly and menacing. “Next time, it won't be mace.”

“And you think I'm the psycho?” Adam snapped, as he walked off, tears running down his face.

Yang grabbed his collar as he walked.

In a fluid motion, she slammed him against the wall.

“Another word out of you and I'm gonna knock your fucking teeth out, you hear me?” Yang spat.

The gym doors opened again as Weiss stepped out.

“Blake, are-” Weiss began, before seeing the scenario unfolding in front of her.

“Get. Out,” Yang demanded, letting him go.

Without another word, Adam scurried off, and within seconds, the hallway was quiet again, save for the muffled music from the gym.

Blake dropped the mace, fighting her own emotions.

She didn't want to look weak, not now.

But her lip quivered independently from her wants.

She could feel tears coming, and she knew no way to stop them.

Within seconds, Weiss and Yang were at her side.

She didn't know how to put it into words, but she really couldn't handle them touching her, even if it was a comforting gesture, and she was about to shrink away...

But then, something amazing happened.

Neither of them hugged her.

Neither of them touched her.

They both just stood, nearby, defensively.

“Hey,” Yang said. “Is it okay if I hold you?”

Blake shook her head, clutching her elbows, her arms pressed to her torso as she slid down the vending machine.

She pressed her knees to her chest.

“Okay,” Yang said, taking a seat next to her. Weiss did the same from the other side. “I'm still here, okay?”

“We're not going anywhere unless you want us to,” Weiss agreed.

“Thank you,” Blake said, as she began to cry.

“I take it that asshole was Adam?” Yang asked.

Blake nodded.

“He hasn't let me be,” Blake said. “He kept texting me, and I've been worried he would take it further.”

“Alright, listen,” Yang said. “He ever approaches you again, you call me immediately, and I'll be there. I'll treat it as priority one. I don't care what I'm doing, hell, even if I'm in pound town, I'll run to your side, okay?”

“I'll do the same,” Weiss said. “This isn't something you need to face alone.”

Blake nodded.

“He just... really scares me,” Blake said. “I've seen him hurt people. He's put people in the hospital.”

“If you'd like, I could get up a little earlier,” Weiss said. “And meet you at your house in the mornings, so you don't have to walk alone.”

“You don't have to do that,” Blake said.

“Blake,” Yang said. “This is a nightmare, let us make it better.”

Blake sighed.

“You're already sleep deprived enough,” Blake said.

“I'm actually not, not anymore,” Weiss said. “I haven't been doing his assignments anymore. Plus, since he revoked my shower privilleges, I have more time to sleep in.”

“Okay, I'll offer you a deal,” Blake said. “I'd love to accept your help, but I wanna help you, too. So come down, like, a half hour before we gotta hit the bus stop, and you can use our shower.”

Weiss' eyes went wide.

“Are you sure?” Weiss asked.

“I hate that you're showering in that locker room,” Blake said. “So let me help you, and I'll let you help me.”

Weiss nodded.

“Okay,” Weiss said. “Deal.”

Blake smiled, despite her tears.

“Thank you,” Blake said. “Being alone, outside... it feels like he'll show up any moment.”

“I can walk you home, too, then,” Weiss offered.

“And if you need to go anywhere and Weiss is busy, call me, I'll give you a ride,” Yang said. “As long as I'm free.”

“Thanks,” Blake said. “I can have my parents drive me, though. I don't wanna use up all your gas.”

“You kidding me?” Yang asked. “Any excuse to drive is one I'll happily take.”

Blake nodded, wiping her eyes.

“Why me?” Blake asked, her voice quiet. “Why is he so obsessed with me?”

“I don't know,” Yang admitted. “But I'm not gonna leave you alone with him. And I mean it, I'll throw hands if I gotta.”

“I don't want you to,” Blake said. “He's put six people in comas they still haven't woken up from. Four are expected never to recover... he basically killed them. He's really dangerous.”

“Yeah, well, someone threatens my family, I can be dangerous, too,” Yang said.

Blake wiped her eyes again.

“Family?” Blake asked.

“Family,” Yang repeated.

Blake sighed.

“Just... be careful, he owns a few guns,” Blake said.

“It is Idaho,” Weiss sighed. “What kinds?”

“Well, he has a shotgun, but he doesn't carry it,” Blake said. “More of a home defense thing. He does carry a glock, though.”

“Model?” Yang asked.

“I think it was a forty-seven,” Blake said. “But I don't remember for sure, I'm not much of a gun nut.”

“God, no one like that should own a gun,” Yang sighed. “Do me a favor, see if you can invest in a personal stun gun.”

“Yeah,” Blake said. “I'm planning on it.”

“And if he keeps it up, we can call the police,” Yang said.

Blake grimaced.

“Yang,” Blake said. “I know you mean well, but I _need_ you to listen to me here. Adam and I are different, in a way that cops will pay attention to. Cops _don't_ help people like me. Especially not cops here.”

Yang looked down.

“It's... really that bad?” Yang asked, horrified.

“Yeah,” Blake said. “And even if race didn't factor into it, cops also don't tend to care about abuse like this. He's a drug dealer, but that's about all they'd care about. I'm a woman, and he's not, and that doesn't go well, even in white couples.”

Yang nodded.

“Okay. No cops,” Yang said. “Either way, I'll be there, okay?”

“Yeah,” Weiss agreed. “You didn't let me face everything alone, and I won't let you either.”

Blake nodded.

“Thank you,” Blake said. “Can... someone drive me home? I don't want to be here anymore.”

“Yeah,” Yang said. “Imma let Ruby know I'll be back for her, and then we can go. Weiss, you want a ride, too?”

“I would appreciate that,” Weiss said.

“Cool, stay with Blake, okay?” Yang said.

Weiss nodded as Yang hurried off.

“You know... that feeling... when it feels like your dad is unstoppable and that he'll get to you no matter what?” Blake asked.

“I'm intimately familiar with the feeling,” Weiss said.

“Well, in a different way, that's what Adam feels like,” Blake said. “He doesn't care about rules, he doesn't care about boundaries, and if anyone gets in his way, he threatens them and usually they back off... if they don't, it's usually worse. I don't want you or Yang to get hurt, but I don't wanna face him alone.”

“We're both willing to risk getting hurt, if it means protecting you,” Weiss said. “And I know for a fact you'd do the same for us.”

“That doesn't mean I'm happy about it,” Blake sighed.

“If you ever need to talk, you know you can message me, right?” Weiss said. “I know what it's like to feel lonely, isolated. I never want you to feel that.”

Blake nodded.

“What did I do to get a friend as amazing as you?” Blake asked, referincing Weiss' own words from twenty minutes earlier.

Weiss chuckled.

“You earned it by being wonderful, and caring, and kind,” Weiss said.

Blake sighed.

“That scar, on his eye... you should know,” Blake said. “If you might be confronting him... he's pissed at your family for giving it to him.”

“How did he get it?” Weiss asked.

“It was at a protest, years ago,” Blake said. “It's where I met him, actually. We were protesting your father, at his office.”

“He mentioned that protest,” Weiss said. “He was livid, I remember that day.”

“He ordered police to fire tear gas into the crowd,” Blake said. “You know how hot tear gas canisters can get?”

Weiss shook her head.

“Enough to cause severe burning,” Blake said. “Adam was hit in the face. He blames both the cops and your father, and by extension, you.”

Weiss sighed.

“To be honest, I don't blame him for that,” Weiss said. “We've hurt a lot of people like that. No, I blame him for how he treated you. What happened to him because of my father, though, that happens all the time, and not just to people like him.”

“I know,” Blake said. “I just wanted you to know. If you try to stand up to him, he is going to take it incredibly personally. Please don't confront him unless you have backup. He's hospitalized people for far less, and I really don't want to see him hurt you.”

Weiss nodded.

“Okay,” Weiss said.

“On top of that, he... really... hates trans people,” Blake said. “He hates the entire LGBT community. He never believed that I was bi, and when Ilia mentioned that she was gay, he blew her off. He hates big companies because they've hurt him, but he's far from progressive.”

“I won't pick a fight with him,” Weiss said. “But I will protect you, even if that puts me in danger. You'd do the same thing if it was my father, and we both know it.”

Blake sighed.

“I wish I could argue, but you're right about that,” Blake said. “Just please be really careful.”

“I will, I promise,” Weiss said as Yang returned. “Let's get you home, okay?”

* * *

Weiss wiped the makeup off of her face, behind the library dumpster. She had changed into her polo and khakis, which were becoming her designated pajamas, since she wasn't about to sleep in her clean clothes. Tossing the wipe into the dumpster, she tucked herself into the sleeping bag, shivering in the cold night.

She had checked the temperature before, and found that it was thirty-three degrees fahrenheit. It was bordering on freezing, and was the coldest she had faced yet.

She had adjusted her alarm to be able to make it to Blake's in time, and, with one last cautious look around to make sure Adam hadn't followed her somehow, she laid back and slowly started to drift off.

“Weiss?” Whitley's voice called out.

She sat up.

She was... in Schnee Manor?

She had been lying on the floor of the kitchen, which was covered in tiny shards of broken glass.

She had tiny cuts all over herself, but she pulled herself up to her feet, trying to ignore them.

“Whitley?” Weiss called out.

She tried to navigate the glass, but ended up severely cutting up her feet, despite her best efforts.

It was so cold.

“Weiss?” Whitley's panicked voice sounded out, from down the hallway.

Weiss started to walk down the hallway.

She heard a sloshing noise coming from the bathroom, the first door on the right.

She knocked on the door.

“Whitley?” Weiss asked.

No response.

She opened the door, and gagged at the mortifying sight before her.

Willow Schnee was sitting in the tub, which was full to the brim.

She was still alive, she was just staring off into space, incoherently.

The tub had started to overflow, about an inch of water was over the ground.

She stepped in, wanting to help-

And then she stepped back, wincing.

The water burned when it touched her cuts.

Wait...

Water didn't smell like that, that was-

 _Vodka_. Willow was sitting in vodka.

“Mom?” Weiss called out.

Willow didn't move. She was like a statue.

“Weiss?” Whitley's panicked voice called out again, from the hallway.

Weiss sighed, returning to the hall. She kept walking, desperate to get to her brother.

The next door was on the left, it was Winter's.

She opened it, wanting to cover all of her bases.

Winter was sitting on her bed.

“Winter, do you know where Whitley-” Weiss began.

“Go away,” Winter said, abruptly.

Weiss froze.

“Winter, are you okay?” Weiss asked.

“Am I okay?” Winter snapped. “You cost me everything. You got me disowned. You got me kicked out. And for what? So you could steal my makeup?”

“No,” Weiss said, hurt. “I never wanted to hurt you-”

“I deserve better than a delusional brother like you,” Winter said. “Did you really think I saw you as my sister?”

Weiss was speechless.

“You're just a waste of space,” Winter said. “And that's all you've ever been.”

Weiss looked down.

“Winter,” Weiss tried.

“Just go away,” Winter said.

Weiss nodded, closing the door.

She approached the next door, which was Whitley's.

“Whitley?” Weiss asked.

She struggled against the doorknob, but it didn't budge.

“What are you doing?” a familiar voice asked, from behind her.

Weiss turned, and saw-

 _Warren Schnee_.

Not her, but her closetted look, from the beginning of the school year. No scar, no makeup...

“What?” Weiss gasped, confused.

“You don't belong here,” Warren said.

“You're... you're not real, you never were,” Weiss said.

“You're one to talk. You're just a delusion of grandeur, one I should have been rid of,” Warren said. “Whether you like it or not, this is who we are. You're just some stupid fantasy.”

“No,” Weiss said, fighting bile rising in her throat. “You're lying.”

“If I'm lying, explain that,” Warren said, pointing to a mirror where her own door should have been.

Weiss looked into the mirror.

The eerie depiction of Warren wasn't there, but her own reflection was there. She took in her short hair, her makeup-free face, her masculine clothes-

 _No, no, please, dear god, no_.

Weiss wanted to vomit.

“You can't escape this,” her reflection said.

Weiss punched the mirror, shattering it to pieces.

But it was too late.

She looked down, and saw her features...

They matched her reflection.

“Warren?” Whitley's voice called out, still panicked.

Weiss continued down the hallway, repulsed at her appearance.

She went through the next door, her father's office.

And when she opened the door, it opened up to the living room.

She ignored the disorienting architecture of this hellscape as she hurried to Whitley's side.

He was sitting on the couch, crying.

“Whitley!” Weiss said, as she sat down. “Are you okay?”

“Am I okay?” Whitley asked, sarcastically, as he lowered his hands.

A scar ran down his left eye.

“Wh-” Weiss began, shocked.

“How could you abandon me?” Whitley snapped. “You left me to be the new you!”

“No, I... I never meant to-” Weiss started.

“You really are like Ilia said,” he said. “You just throw people away when you're done with them.”

“And you still think you're the hero?” Henry Marigold scoffed, from behind her.

“You were always a liar,” May said.

“You really think I'd ever love you?” Blake laughed. “You're just like Adam. A delusional boy that thinks I owe him something. Listen to me, I was your friend because I pitied you. Because you were pathetic, like a dying puppy.”

“You know we'd all be better off if you were gone,” Yang agreed.

“What?” Weiss asked, as tears ran down her face. “I-”

“Hurts, doesn't it?” Ilia asked, stepping past them. “When people see you for who you really are?”

Weiss looked around, confused.

“You can't even decide who you love,” Yang said. “You want both me and Blake, and you really think you're better than people like Cardin? You're just like every other guy out there. You're disgusting, you're some creep that wants a harem.”

“No, it has nothing to do with that!” Weiss argued.

“You really expect me to love you, when I'm not even enough for you?” Blake scoffed. “You're disgusting, just like Jacques.”

Weiss was about to protest, when a voice interrupted.

“Excuse me,” a deep voice interrupted.

Weiss woke up, coming back to reality on the pavement behind the library.

A police officer was standing over her, a green pair of sunglasses tucked into his collar.

“What's going on?” Weiss muttered, shivering as she sat up.

“Young man, do you understand that you're sleeping on owned property?” the cop asked.

“What?” Weiss mumbled.

“This parking lot belongs to the businesses associated,” the officer said. “I'm going to have to ask you to leave the property.”

“Was... was it a problem?” Weiss asked.

“They said you were sleeping here last night, and they filed a complaint,” the cop said.

“Last night?” Weiss asked, alarmed.

 _She had been staying over at Yang's house last night_.

“Yup,” he said.

“Where... am I supposed to go?” Weiss asked.

“Not here,” he said. “There are plenty of shelters, and they're happy to help young men like you in situations like this.”

“No, there aren't,” Weiss sighed, as she rolled up her sleeping bag. “Young men, sure. Not trans women.”

“I see,” he said. “Either way, sir, I'm gonna have to have you leave the premises. If you won't go willingly, you'll be placed under arrest.”

Weiss winced at his continued misgendering of her.

“I'm going,” Weiss snapped, picking up her backpack.

She started walking away, checking her MP3.

_Three in the morning. Wonderful. I'm unlikely to find a place in time to sleep._

The pea-coat at least shielded her from the cold, for now. Her legs were still cold, but it was only about twenty-eight degrees, so she wasn't as cold as she could be.

She looked over her shoulder, watching the officer get back in his car.

He was watching her, too.

She shuddered, unable to shake the feeling that something was incredibly wrong here.

He was clearly lying, as she hadn't been here the previous night.

Then it hit her.

This officer, she had seen him before, around the school.

Officer Ortez.

He had been one of the officers that confronted Nurse Grey.

Weiss felt sick to her stomach at the realization.

Her father had organized this. Ortez was on Jacques' payroll.

 _Her own father was arranging for police to harrass and evict her_.

She knew he wouldn't back off, she knew he would do something to sabotage her.

Anger and fear boiled in her thoughts, and she hadn't a clue what to do.

So she kept walking, hoping to find a place to stay that wouldn't be a hotspot for police.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that got really intense.  
> This helps segue us into Adam's arc of this story, so... yeah.  
> I hope y'all enjoyed!  
> Chapter 30 is being written at the moment, so it should be out in the next few days.


	30. A Mirror, or Transparent?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emerald and Mercury bring up a concern they have noticed. Yang opens up about some feelings she has been dealing with. 
> 
> This is another chapter I heavily recommend reading the trigger warnings for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW this chapter for suicide mention, discussion of the suicide rates of trans people, a recounting of a suicide attempt, transphobic slurs (specifically the term c**n fl*pp*r), self harm, mentions of abuse, homelessness, ableism (specifically about leg injury), transphobia, and homophobia.

Weiss had found an abandoned car wash, about two miles from Blake's house, which meant she would need almost an hour to get to her house. It wasn't even worth trying to sleep at that point, she would only get about an hour, _maybe_ an hour and a half of sleep. And after the vivid nightmare, she wasn't eager to slip back there.

She hated how realistic her nightmares could get.

Movies and books always acted like pinching yourself would snap you out of it, like you couldn't _feel_ in your dreams.

But when she had stepped on that glass, it was agonizing.

All five senses were sharp the whole time.

Guilt sank into her. After all, were her dreams actually wrong about anything?

She _had_ hurt Winter. If it wasn't for her, Winter never would have been disowned. It was, one hundred percent, her fault.

And she wasn't a woman... was she?

When it came down to it, she still felt dysphoric, she still felt trapped. No amount of effort truly took away that gut-wrenching feeling inside of her, no matter how hard she tried.

_If she was really trans, shouldn't that dysphoria go away?_

And Whitley...

Dear god, Whitley.

She had left Whitley behind, just like Winter had left Ilia behind.

She felt sick at the thought of what Jacques was putting that poor boy through now.

What were the odds that he was still awake, working on one of those sadistic assignments, right now?

And she had just ran, because she wanted better.

She came to the last significant moment from the dream, which felt like a venom in her heart.

She couldn't figure out what she felt about Blake or Yang.

It felt like love. It felt like a crush. It felt like that burning desire for a relationship, which Weiss had occasionally felt herself drift towards in the past, but quickly fought off.

She had briefly felt that about May. She had felt that way about Elm, in junior high, before their social groups separated. She had felt a crush before, that butterflies-in-stomach yearning for that close, loving relationship, but always fought it off, knowing it was impossible.

_So why couldn't she fight it off this time?_

She knew Elm would never want her.

And she knew even more that May not only would never want her, but deserved _leagues_ better.

And she felt that way here, too. Blake and Yang deserved better, so much better.

And they would _never_ want her, not that way.

And even if all of that wasn't true, who falls in love with two different women? That made her a creep, right?

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Weiss didn't know why it felt so strong this time. She just couldn't help but run into scenarios in her mind. Happy little daydreams. The thought of cuddling with Blake or Yang, watching some movie. Going to a bookstore with Blake, or going to a sports game with Yang, even though she hated sports.

And occasionally, the thought would creep up on her.

The thought of being kissed, by either one...

It was the happiest reality Weiss could imagine...

And it felt like she was being stabbed in the heart when she remembered that it would never be more than a daydream.

She wanted to cry.

She wanted to stop feeling this way. Why couldn't she just _stop_?

* * *

“ _They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies,”_ Blake's phone rang out, jolting her awake. She sighed, turning off her alarm.

She tried not to think about last night's events as she got dressed.

She didn't feel like investing too much energy into makeup. She just did some light eye makeup, and the slightest blush. Then she stretched, checking the time.

Weiss would be here soon, and Blake hadn't actually let her parents know yet.

She stepped out, already hearing her father watching the news in the living room.

“Good morning, dear,” Kali said from the kitchen. “Tea? Oatmeal? I have a kettle on.”

“Both, please,” Blake said. “I also had a request.”

Kali nodded, patiently.

“Weiss is in a rough spot, her dad's... really abusive, and she's not allowed to shower there anymore.”

Kali's eyebrows raised in alarm.

“That's awful!” Kali said.

“Yeah,” Blake said. “I kinda offered her a deal, she's doing me a favor, and I said she could shower before school here every day, is that okay?”

“Absolutely,” Kali said. “Is she coming over today?”

“Yes, she should be here any minute,” Blake said. “Please don't bombard her with questions about her family. I know her father hurt us, but she's-”

“I would never blame a child for the actions of their parents,” Kali smiled. “If she's your friend, she's welcome here.”

“Also, again, she's trans, please don't make a big deal about it, okay?” Blake asked.

“Blake, we would never do that,” Ghira said, from the living room. “Not in a million years.”

Blake nodded.

“Okay,” Blake said.

A soft knock sounded against the door.

“That's probably her,” Blake said, hurrying across the house.

She opened the door, seeing an exhausted but nervous Weiss Schnee standing on her doorstep.

“Good morning,” Weiss said.

“Morning, are you okay?” Blake asked.

“I didn't sleep well,” Weiss sighed. “Thank you, so much, for this.”

“Of course,” Blake said, inviting Weiss in.

“Hello, Weiss,” Kali greeted. “It's wonderful to meet you.”

Weiss seemed to get more nervous in the presence of Ghira and Kali.

“T-thank you,” Weiss said. “It's a pleasure to meet you as well.”

“Do you have a morning drink?” Kali asked.

“Um...” Weiss said, awkwardly. “That's okay, you don't have to-”

“I've never been inhospitable before, and I'm damn sure not going to start now,” Kali objected.

“She's not gonna drop this,” Blake sighed. “Weiss likes coffee.”

“Ah, so you have good tastes,” Ghira smiled, holding up his own cup.

“Once you're out of the shower, please feel free to get a cup,” Kali smiled.

“Thank you,” Weiss awkwardly said.

“Now, can I show her the shower, or are you gonna keep ganging up on her?” Blake asked.

“I'm not ganging up on her,” Kali said. “I just want to get to know your friends.”

“If you keep embarrassing me, I won't _have_ friends,” Blake sighed.

“But embarrassing you is my job,” Kali laughed.

Blake rolled her eyes, as she led Weiss to the bathroom.

“Hot water's on the left, it takes a minute to warm up,” Blake said. “We've only got about ten minutes of warm water, so you probably won't wanna take too long. Let me grab you a towel.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

Blake opened the closet, grabbing a light-blue spare towel and handing it to Weiss.

“See you soon,” Blake said, and then headed back down the hall as Weiss closed the door.

“I'm so proud of you,” Kali said, as Blake started to eat her oatmeal.

“Mom,” Blake groaned.

“You've come a long way,” Kali said, as she sat down. “Am I not allowed to be proud of that?”

“It's humiliating,” Blake said. “It's not an achievement every time I form a friendship.”

Blake watched the news, seeing the anchors talk about a political debate that had happened the previous night.

“She was incredibly polite,” Ghira said, after a moment.

“She was, wasn't she?” Kali asked.

“Ugh,” Blake sighed.

“It certainly can't have been easy, growing up there,” Kali said.

“Guys, really?” Blake asked. “You said you wouldn't talk about that.”

“Right,” Ghira said. “I'm just saying, she must be a very strong young woman.”

“She is,” Blake said.

“So, what deal did you make with her?” Kali asked.

Blake looked at her food, hesitantly.

“Well...” Blake said. “I... look, it's personal.”

“Dear?” Kali asked, concerned. “I know that look.”

Blake kept looking at her food, suddenly having lost her appetite.

“Is... he back?” Kali asked.

“He's trying to be,” Blake said.

Ghira sat up.

“Blake, you need to let us handle this,” Ghira said.

“What are you gonna do, dad? Call the cops? Yeah, that'll go great,” Blake said. “I don't want to make it a big deal. This is why I wasn't telling you.”

Ghira sighed.

“That's noble of you,” Ghira said. “But we're your parents.”

“And that means I should have listened to you when I started dating him,” Blake said.

“No,” Ghira said. “You were never going to listen to us, you were fourteen and we were telling you no. Any parent can see how that would go. What I'm saying is it's our job to keep you safe. You shouldn't be dealing with this.”

“And there's nothing either of you _can_ do about it,” Blake said. “Please just... stop.”

Kali nodded.

“Then you need to be taking safety precautions,” Kali said.

“That's our deal. Weiss is gonna walk to and from school with me, so I'm not alone out there,” Blake said.

“That's a start,” Kali said.

“I... was hoping to get a taser,” Blake said.

“I can work with that,” Ghira said. “I have a bit set aside. I'll order it today.”

Blake nodded.

“But you need to let us know if he tries anything,” Ghira said.

“Okay,” Blake said.

The bathroom door opened, and Weiss came out, dressed in her beautiful white rose shirt and her skinny jeans.

“Weiss,” Ghira said, as Weiss took a seat. Blake hopped up to grab her a mug of coffee. “Thank you, for helping my daughter.”

“Of course, sir,” Weiss said, still nervous.

Ghira chuckled.

“I'm not a general,” Ghira said. “Please, call me Ghira.”

“Okay,” Weiss stammered.

Blake handed her the coffee.

“Thank you,” Weiss said.

* * *

Yang's morning routine had been slipping, but she woke up today re-energized to get into her old habits. She awoke at five-thirty, and then started stretching for her morning workout. It had been too long, her guns had been starting to atrophy.

Feeling the aching, burning sensation in her arms again was almost like a breath of fresh air.

Not only was it a point of pride for her, having the best damn abs and biceps in the school, but after everything that had happened with Adam, she wanted to be in ideal shape to be able to put up a fight.

She got back up, having done her sets for push-ups and sit-ups, and grabbed her pull-up bar from her closet. She opened her door, afixing it to the door way once again.

“Hey,” Ruby said, groggily. “You mind if I shower first?”

“Sure, just don't be a butt and use all the hot water again,” Yang said.

“I'm sorry about what happened,” Ruby sighed.

“It is what it is. He's a douche.”

“Penny and I won the costume contest,” Ruby said, cheerfully.

“I knew you would,” Yang smiled. “Now get a move on that shower or I'm gonna take it.”

Ruby nodded, stepping into the bathroom.

“Someone's motivated,” Tai said, from down the hallway. “I don't think you've used the pull-up bar this year.”

“I've been slacking,” Yang sighed, as she dropped down.

Tai walked over, standing in her doorway as she hung up her punching bag, squeezing her fists into her golden-yellow boxing gloves.

“So, why the sudden change of mind?” Tai asked.

“Well, it's complicated,” Yang said. “Blake's in some rough shit, and the guy who's involved is kinda dangerous, so I wanna be in shape.”

“When you say dangerous,” Tai began.

“No more dangerous than anyone mom would hang with,” Yang said, the slightest bit of irritation in her voice as she pummeled the bag.

Tai nodded.

“So this is about Raven?” Tai asked.

“A little,” Yang said. “It helps me get my feelings out. And I don't even know what I am feeling.”

“Well, you can talk to me, believe it or not,” Tai chuckled.

“Yeah,” Yang snorted. “Like you'd get any of this.”

“Try me,” Tai said.

Yang rolled her eyes.

“Okay, then. One of my best friends is being followed by her creepy neckbeard ex, the other is getting abused by her transphobic dad every day, and I can't really do anything to actually help them because with Blake, it's a matter of waiting to see if that asshole will show up again, and Weiss is determined not to let anyone help her. I also miss my mom, even though I never knew her. I've gotta decide whether I'd rather she just ran away, or if she was kidnapped. Either way, it's horrible. And-”

Yang sighed, lowering her fists.

“And emotions are stupid and confusing,” Yang said. She started to punch the bag again. “I think I like someone... fuck it, I think I'm in love with her, but, it's stupid, and she's got so much going on, and...”

“Okay,” Tai said. “I'll admit, yeah, I'm pretty inexperienced in most of this. Raven, that's a really shitty situation. And I wish I could say it wasn't. I'm sorry. Your friends, though? They have a badass here to help them. Not a lot of people can say that. I'd be willing to bet they're both doing a lot better than they'd be without your help. Now, love... I tend to mess up love. Obviously. Who are you into?”

Yang took off her gloves, and took a seat on her bed.

“Isn't it weird for me to talk to you about this?” Yang asked.

“By society's rules, it's weird that you exercise and it's weird that I cook,” Tai said. “If you wanna talk to me about this, you can, though.”

Yang nodded.

“It's... Blake,” Yang said. “Usually I'm so forward, when it comes to relationships. I mean, you remember when I asked Neptune out.”

“Yeah,” Tai chuckled. “That was interesting.”

“But with Blake, I feel... lost. I've been starting to feel this way, since... well, I guess since I first became friends with her, but I didn't actually realize it until a week or two ago. She just... okay, the way she reads ahead in every school textbook, so when she gets called on, she sounds super professional, like she's an audiobook narrator, it's always amazing. And she always covers her mouth when she laughs, it's the cutest thing... I've been so happy when she's around, and I'm just worried I'm gonna mess it up like I usually do,” Yang sighed. “And then Adam shows up. And... I don't know, I just feel like if I asked her out right now, it'd be taking advantage of her, or something.”

Tai nodded.

“Okay, I get how you see that,” Tai said. “There's a few things I've always been able to say about you, Yang. You're strong, and brave, and you wear your heart on your sleeve, even if that's dangerous. I know you'd never hurt anyone, at least, willingly. And Blake probably knows that, too. I'd say you should just try to talk to her. Not ask her out, not yet, just... see if she's in the state of mind to go somewhere like that right now.”

“But... isn't that still taking advantage of her?” Yang asked.

“Just asking a question is fine,” Tai said. “Just be respectful of her boundaries if she says she isn't interested.”

Yang nodded.

“Maybe,” Yang said. “I just feel like I should wait until this whole Adam situation is taken care of.”

“If you'd rather do that, then you can,” Tai said. “But just remember, hanging onto these feelings but always making excuses not to talk about them can put you in some painful places. It's generally better to take that step, rather than wonder what could have been.”

“I just don't wanna overwhelm her,” Yang sighed.

“Then, like I said, don't be aggressive or flashy about it,” Tai said. “Give her time. You've got this.”

Yang nodded.

“Alright, I'm gonna start cool-downs. Tell Ruby to get her butt out of the shower,” Yang said, before taking a sip of water.

* * *

Weiss wished she hadn't told Neon and Nora she didn't need caffeine. While it was nothing near how bad her exhaustion was just a week ago, she still felt awful, and she could feel it seeping into her mood. She felt grumpy and irritable, every minute on the bus felt like everyone was shouting into her ear.

“Hey, Blake?” Pyrrha asked, as they stepped off of the bus. “Could I get your advice?”

“Sure,” Blake said. “Weiss, I'll meet you inside.”

Weiss nodded.

She continued to walk, hearing Pyrrha mention Jaune as she walked off.

Henry Marigold had been right in front of her, and he grabbed the door, turning back.

“Ladies first,” he said.

Weiss raised an eyebrow, refusing to trust the situation.

“Yeah, wait your turn,” Miltia said from behind her, shoulder-checking her to the side. Melanie followed her steps, as they entered the building.

“Very funny,” Weiss said, catching the door as Henry walked in.

“Believe it or not, Warren, not everything's about you,” Henry sneered. “I know you're obsessed with attention, but I just wanted to hold the door open for my friends. You don't happen to be one of those anymore.”

“Yes, and I miss your friendship more and more every day,” Weiss rolled her eyes. “And for the record, I'm not obsessed with attention.”

“Whatever,” Melanie smirked. “That's why you made a huge deal over making your RuPaul phase public knowledge.”

“Yeah, how many times did you mention it that day? I counted at least sixteen,” Miltia said. “Honestly, it's really sad that you think anyone cares.”

Weiss felt her temper starting to rise.

“I just can't believe none of us saw it coming,” Henry said. “If I'd known you were a coin flipper, I would have stopped talking to you a long time ago.”

“A what?” Weiss scoffed.

Mercury and Emerald, who had been behind Weiss, stepped in at that point. Mercury stepped past Weiss, grabbing Henry by the collar.

“I'm gonna make this clear,” Mercury snapped. “I ever hear you say that shit ever again, your prissy parents aren't gonna recognize what's left of you, you fucking hear me?”

Henry pushed Mercury back, annoyed.

“I'm not gonna fight you. I don't hit little girls,” Henry said. “Especially not one that doesn't even have real legs.”

Emerald stepped past Mercury, glaring at Henry from about two inches away.

“Walk away, Henry,” Emerald said. “Now.”

Henry laughed.

“Or, what, you'll ban me from Hot Topic?” Henry scoffed.

“Mercury fights his dad just about every day,” Emerald said. “My dad taught me how to put someone in a coma with my bare hands if I need to. You three against me and Merc, who do you think is gonna come out on top?”

Henry glared back at her.

“You're full of shit,” Henry said.

“Try me,” Emerald spat. “I'd love an excuse to fuck up that pretty-boy face.”

Miltia put her hand on Henry's shoulder.

“Let's go, it's not worth it,” she said.

Henry nodded.

“Yeah,” Henry agreed.

Then the three of them stormed off.

Emerald turned to Mercury.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Fine,” Mercury said. “Weiss?”

“I'm okay,” Weiss said, as they took a seat in the cafeteria. “What... did that mean? The thing they said?”

“It's a slur,” Mercury said. “For trans people. Almost half of us will attempt suicide at least once within our lives.”

Weiss felt her blood boil.

“And... they're comfortable joking about it?” Weiss snapped. “What the hell is wrong with them?”

“They think it's funny,” Emerald spat. “It's their stupid edgy sense of humor. I'm surprised they never got you in on that one before.”

Weiss looked down.

“I'm... really glad I never joined _that,_ ” Weiss said. “How... how many of the people in that statistic... are our age?”

“Most of 'em,” Mercury said. “Just over a third of trans people around our age will try.”

Mercury sighed.

“Just... keep that in mind, next time people like them say shit like that. How many trans kids do you know here?”

“Well, me, you, Penny, Jaune, May, Neon, Fox,” Weiss said. “That's seven.”

“Yeah,” Mercury said. “Do the math.”

Weiss felt sick at the thought.

“Have... you?” Weiss asked, nervously. “I'm sorry, that was personal-”

“It's fine,” Mercury said. “And yeah, I have.”

Weiss went quiet.

“Statistically, there's one to two more trans students out of the people you listed that tried,” Mercury said. “I fuckin' hate this place.”

“I'm... also really sorry about what Henry said,” Weiss said. “About your legs... that was really not okay.”

“It is what it is,” Mercury said. “I mean, I got lucky and was able to crowdfund some really good prosthetics. Most can't say that.”

Weiss nodded. Curiosity burned at her, but she knew better than to ask what had happened.

“Hey,” Emerald said. “Weiss... on the note of... everything they brought to light, I know things are really shitty. If you're ever in that dark of a place, despite all our differences, come talk to us. We both get it, in our own way.”

“Yeah,” Mercury said.

“Oh,” Weiss said. “Thank you, but I'm not at risk.”

Mercury narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah,” Mercury said. Weiss couldn't make out if he was being sarcastic or not. “So, seven, so far, huh?”

“That I know of,” Weiss agreed.

“Did you know two thirds self harm?” Mercury asked.

Weiss felt her blood run cold.

“I didn't,” Weiss said.

“You knew in this case it was at least one in seven, though,” Mercury said.

Weiss looked down.

“I don't know-” Weiss started to deny understanding.

“Don't,” Mercury said. “I'm trying to help you out here.”

Weiss looked back up.

“How did you know?” Weiss asked, quietly.

“Cause you're the poster child for self harm,” Mercury said. “Abusive parents, ridiculous expectations, trans, and some of the worst self esteem issues I've ever seen. You've got this complex that keeps you from accepting help, cause you think you don't deserve it. That's why you didn't let anyone save you from your old man, and that's why you choose to sleep under a bridge over letting your friends give you a place to crash.”

Weiss' eyes went wide.

“So that's what this is about?” Weiss scoffed. “Some kind of intervention?”

“If you wanna call it that,” Mercury said. “You're at risk for like six different shitty things, Weiss. You're gonna get yourself killed.”

“How did you know I was-”

“I actually figured that one out,” Emerald said. “Takes one to know one.”

“So, what, your plan is to talk me into changing my ways?” Weiss asked. “I stay with Yang or Blake, and then everything's fixed, I stop...” Weiss' words died in her throat, and she had to force herself to speak, quielty. “I stop cutting, I'm suddenly fine?”

“We know it doesn't work that way,” Mercury said. “But you don't understand just how much danger you're in. You're not sleeping in some cushy, sanitary room anymore. It just became real easy to be exposed to infection. Living on the street with an infected wound, that shit will kill you, really slowly.”

“I don't see you pulling Emerald off the street,” Weiss said.

“Got off the street,” Emerald said. “Not long ago. Like you should.”

Weiss sighed.

“I'd let you stay with me if that was an option,” Mercury said. “But my old man's not too different from yours.”

“You're not the first people to try to get me to do that,” Weiss said. “Ilia tried, so did my brother and Klein.”

“Maybe you should listen,” Emerald said.

“I'm not going to be a burden,” Weiss said, matter-of-factly. “I refuse.”

“That's an ignorant mindset,” Emerald said.

“It's the truth,” Weiss said.

“You need to get help,” Mercury said. “Take it from me. My old man calls me a leech or a freeloader once a week, at least. Yeah, that shit seeps in. It sucks. But I'm alive, aren't I?”

Weiss buried her face in her hands.

“This is why we sat down to have this talk,” Mercury continued. “You wanna tell me you aren't at risk? _Really_? We both know that's bullshit.”

“I'm in a rough spot, but I'm not gonna go there,” Weiss said.

“Maybe not yet,” Mercury said. “But that mindset you've got, where do you think it leads? If anyone else told you they felt like their existence was a burden, and fit all of these statistics, what would you think?”

“But this is different. I _know_ my own thoughts,” Weiss said.

“And I know where this road leads,” Mercury said, his voice getting bitter and angry. “I was on it two years ago. I felt like no one would care if I was gone. I felt like it'd never get better. Every day at school, I was getting called some really fucked up things. Then I'd go back home so my old man could use me as an ashtray. You know where it got me?”

Weiss wanted to argue, but didn't know what to say.

“I got sick of dealing with it, so I went out into the foothills, found a nice cliff, about a hundred foot drop, and jumped. I'm only here now because I fucked up the jump and landed on a ledge twenty feet down,” Mercury said. “In the hospital, they forced me to talk to someone, and I got lucky and got one of the good therapists out there. But listen to me, Weiss. That movie bullshit you always see where someone survives and takes it as a sign that everything's gonna be okay? That doesn't happen as much as you'd think. If I'd been let out that day, I would have tried again, and probably succeeded. It's gonna be a lot easier for you to get past this _now_ than if you let it get worse.”

“And what am I supposed to do?” Weiss argued. “You said it yourself, the good therapists are rare.”

“Yeah, they are,” Mercury said. “But there's one here that knows his shit. And you can reduce your risk chance by getting the fuck off the street. I happen to know May and her girlfriends offered you a place. _Take it_.”

Weiss' hands curled up into fists, and she looked up for a moment, frustrated.

“I told you,” Weiss said.

“Would you rather _maybe_ be a burden or be dead?” Emerald asked.

“Do you really want me to answer that honestly?” Weiss retorted.

“If you died, how do you think that'd effect your friends?” Mercury asked. “Yang, Blake, Ruby, Penny, May, Neon, what do you think that'd do to them?”

“They'd be fine,” Weiss said.

“Really?” Mercury scoffed, standing. “Okay, let's go ask.”

“What?” Weiss asked, panicked. “Don't! Mercury, that isn't for you to share.”

Mercury sighed, and took a seat.

“Listen to me,” Emerald said. “You don't just get over someone dying. My dad died when I was really, _really_ young, and that shit still fucks me up.”

“He was a father,” Weiss said. “That's not the same.”

“Okay,” Emerald said. “What if Blake did it? Or Yang?”

Weiss was jolted with the thought of either of her closest friends meeting that fate.

She wanted to vomit, or scream, or both.

“Would you ever be okay again?” Emerald asked.

Weiss looked down.

“You know deep down that we're right,” Mercury said. “You need to get help. Before it's too late.”

“I'll see Watts,” Weiss said. “But I'm not going to take up space in someone's house.”

“Weiss,” Emerald said, exhasperated.

“No,” Weiss said. “I mean it. I made the choice to be on the street. _I will deal with that choice_. I'm not going to pawn that off onto someone else.”

“I'm sure your friends would rather feed an extra mouth than lose you entirely,” Mercury said. “Hell, we aren't even that close and I'd make that sacrifice for you.”

“No,” Weiss said, as willfully as she could manage.

Mercury sighed.

“Fine,” he said. “Then at least go see Watts.”

The bell rang, and Weiss stood.

“I will,” she said. “Can I trust you two to keep this a secret?”

“Give me a reason I should,” Mercury said.

“Because I kept yours,” Weiss said. “I didn't help Cardin out you, even though it destroyed my social standing. And I'm glad I didn't, but the reason I kept it a secret was because it wasn't for me to tell.”

Mercury rolled his eyes.

“For the record that's not the same,” he said. “But I'll keep it a secret for now.”

“Word of advice,” Emerald said. “If you're gonna be a stubborn bitch about this. Save up soda cans. Metal recyclers will pay you for enough of them.”

* * *

“So, what's going on?” Blake asked, as she and Pyrrha stood off to the side.

“I've... been in an unfortunate situation,” Pyrrha said. “And I was hoping for some advice. You're familiar with Jaune Arc, right?”

Blake nodded.

“Yeah,” Blake said.

“Well...” Pyrrha said. “I know... you and I aren't super close, but since you arrived, you've felt like more real of a friend than most. A lot of people are friends with me because I'm in sports, or because I'm popular, but it always feels...”

“Hollow?” Blake nodded.

“But since we worked on that project in Spanish class, I've felt like you actually like who I am, not just how being friends with me will make you look,” Pyrrha said.

“You really work to help people,” Blake said. “Not many people do that. I guess, you're one of the first people I've ever seen that seems like a legitimate ally of marginalized communities, rather than just claiming to be one so you can sleep at night. When minorities talk, you listen, and when we're harassed, you know exactly how much to step in, without making it a bigger fight we'll be blamed for. That's frustratingly rare.”

Pyrrha smiled.

“Sorry, I went off on a tangent,” Blake said. “All I meant is you're a really honest, helpful person, and that means a lot to me. What did you want to talk about?”

“Jaune and I have math, English, and P. E. together,” Pyrrha said. “And I've been getting really close with him, but I've never been in a real relationship before.”

Pyrrha sighed.

“Most people seem too intimidated to actually go for me, or they're not intimidated, but they're rude and shallow. Jaune isn't like that, but he has no idea how I actually feel. I want to tell him, but for once, I'm the one that's too scared to bring it up. Not only that, but usually the guy asks out the girl, and if I asked him out...”

“You're worried it would make him feel dysphoric?” Blake asked.

Pyrrha nodded.

“I know that's all based on outdated and sexist rules, but even so, most of us still follow those outdated concepts,” Pyrrha said.

“Can I ask you a personal question?” Blake asked.

“Okay,” Pyrrha said.

“You're straight, right?” Blake asked.

“I am,” Pyrrha said.

“Well, for once, that might actually benefit him here,” Blake said. “But if I'm being perfectly honest, I can't say much about how being trans factors into anything here. If I was in your position... well, to be honest, if _I_ was in your position, I'd probably be too nervous to initiate anything. But what I'd _recommend_ , is that you talk to him, no pick up lines or tactics. Tell him how you feel. You can't get it wrong if it's the truth, Pyrrha. Just don't try to push any gender norms on him, and you'll probably be fine. I can't see you misgendering him or anything, so you're probably fine.”

Pyrrha nodded.

“It's alarming, you know?” Pyrrha asked. “I can face crowds, I can lead our basketball team, I can skydive and I can stand up to just about anyone without breaking a sweat, but _asking someone out_ scares me. It seems really backwards.”

Blake chuckled.

“You're far from the first person I've seen fit those labels... or, similar ones, and have trouble with this. If it helps, I think Jaune's pretty fond of you,” Blake said. “I may or may not have heard him mention in the past that you of all people got him into basketball. And with nerdy guys like him, that's saying a lot.”

Pyrrha blushed.

“You always know how to help,” Pyrrha smiled. “Thank you, Blake.”

“Any time,” Blake said. “Now, it's freezing out here, let's get inside.”

* * *

May and Fiona's drone, true to their word, was incredibly stealthy.

Mr. Polendina's second period Robotics class had gone down to the outdoor basketball court to have their drone battles. The sun had started to rise during first period, so the grass was still covered in dew and it was cold enough they all needed their jackets.

Sky and Bertilak's drone was the first out. May and Fiona's _Happy Huntress_ snuck up from behind and peppered it, simply moving back out of their range every time they turned to try to get an angle on them. Due to their liquid paint gun, their drone was immensely heavy, and would only be able to take out an enemy drone by clogging up the circuitry and gears, so after dodging a few torrents of paint, their _Phoenix_ ran empty, and the _Happy Huntress_ came in for the killing blow.

The next match was Gwen and Dew's _Obscuro_ against Mercury and Sage's _Droneslayer Nevermore Drake Destroyer Three-Thousand_ , which was just as quick of a match. _Obscuro_ was faster, but a single shot from the _Droneslayer Nevermore Drake Destroyer Three-Thousand_ caused it to violently crash.

Ruby was excited as her and Penny's _Nuts and Dolts_ took flight, against the _Happy Huntress_.

The match took an alarmingly long time, as neither team was able to get the drop on the other. Every time Ruby tried to snipe them, she would lose sight of them. She had to stop relying on the drone's camera and try to go by her own sight, which wasn't much better. On the other hand, they knew the _Happy Huntress_ ' location well enough to keep their distance, staying outside of the range of May and Fiona's weapons.

The match came to an eventual close when Ruby got a lucky shot, which shattered one of the propellers of the _Happy Huntress_ , and more importantly, making it visible due to the paint splatter. Ruby used this to finish them off while they tried not to crash due to their damaged propeller.

The final match was between the _Droneslayer Nevermore Drake Destroyer Three-Thousand_ and the _Nuts and Dolts_ , which lasted three minutes, most of that time being Ruby and Penny trying to outrun Sage and Mercury. They both attempted to force the fight into their ideal range, and the battle was won simply due to the higher rate of power consumption for the _Droneslayer Nevermore Drake Destroyer Three-Thousand_ causing it to lose power and crash while Ruby and Penny still had forty seconds of battery.

“Well,” May said. “I'll give it to ya'. Your drone made the best of every situation. Not bad.”

“We should have gotten a bigger battery,” Sage sighed.

“That would have slowed us down more,” Mercury countered.

“At least we were weighed down by a working weapon,” Sage said. “That got us second place.”

“Shut up,” Bertilak snapped. “If we had been allowed to use the _Dragon's Breath_ , it would have been a slaughter.”

“Only if we were all still forced to use paint,” Fiona said. “By your analogy, we'd have real guns hooked up. You'd still lose.”

Sky rolled his eyes.

“You all still constructed functional drones, so everyone passes the assignment,” Mr. Polendina said proudly. “Bertilak, Sky, your idea was creative, but it wasn't practical, because of that, your drone gets a C plus.”

“Whatever,” Bertilak spat.

“Gwen, Dew, your drone had an advantage in speed, but nothing to help it capitolize on this advantage, so one well placed shot destroyed you. B minus.”

Gwen sighed.

“May, Fiona, the _Huntress_ was well thought out. The camoflage proved to be a trump card in both fights, but like the _Obscuro_ , without something to capitalize on this advantage, it was left defenseless once the _Nuts and Dolts_ got a lucky shot,” he said. “I'd give you two an A minus, due to the excellent application of stealth, however, since it almost won your second fight.”

May nodded, grinning.

“Mercury and Sage, you two put a lot of work into the... _Droneslayer_... and to your credit, it was phenomenally well-built. The soddering was professional-grade.”

“Merc did the soddering,” Sage admitted. “I made the guns.”

“The guns were some of the best craftsmanship I've seen as a teacher,” Mr. Polendina smiled. “You two both have a future in engineering or tech, keep up work like that and I can see scholarships coming your way. A plus, I'd say a ninety-six percent, the only complaint is that you overloaded your drone with gear. If you hadn't shown restraint, it probably couldn't have lifted off. This did keep you durable, however, so it's not a bigger complaint.”

“Thanks, Mr. Polendina,” Sage smiled.

“Penny, Ruby, the _Nuts and Dolts_ won and for good reason. You didn't weigh it down, you kept your gun light and efficient, but it specialized in a way no one else could really fight. The mechanical work was phenomenal, and the skill in piloting it was equally so.”

“I play way too many video games,” Ruby smiled.

“Well, keep at it,” Mr. Polendina said. “A plus. You two get a hundred percent.”

“Thank you,” Penny said.

“Alright, hang onto what you learned. The exam for the end of course will be on a similar note, but instead of drones, we'll be using remote cars and tanks,” Mr. Polendina said. “And I will be choosing your teams, too. It'll be just as much of a test of if you can work with a partner you don't choose.”

“Understood,” Mercury said.

“Final part of this test is gonna be an essay, at least three pages, no cheating the font, it's gotta be size twelve, Times New Roman, and no funny business with paragraph spacing, either. I want you to explain what went right, what went wrong, and what real world skills you used here,” Mr. Polendina said. “Gather up your drones and head back to the lab.”

* * *

Yang leaned back, sitting next to Fox, Weiss, and Pyrrha. Glynda and Theodore hadn't come out of their office yet, but rumor was that today was a big day in the gym. Blake had mentioned that even _she_ had fun.

“I still wish gender just didn't factor into physical education,” Fox sighed. “For sports, I can see the importance, I guess. But this is just, like, walking laps and watching sex ed videos.”

“Yeah, to be honest, I think we'd all be better off if we all saw every video,” Yang said. “How many guys would be less grossed out by periods if they had to learn about them as much as we do?”

“Ugh,” Weiss said. “The puberty videos the boys watch are always a nightmare. Every year, someone always laughs because there's a penis shown at some point. I hated every second of it.”

“Right?” Fox agreed.

“See, that's my point,” Yang said. “I feel like we'd respect each other more if we weren't so separated during all this.”

“I think it's an ego thing,” Nora chimed in from behind them. “We rarely do anything as a whole class. If we played dodgeball together like we used to in elementary, think of how much it'd bruise egos when the girls destroy the boys.”

“You're not wrong,” Pyrrha said. “Cardin always talked big, but he always lost back then.”

They were all silenced when the teachers stepped out.

“Alright, everyone,” Glynda said, her voice raised significantly to echo throughout the room. “Once attendance is done and everyone's changed, get ready to move to the upstairs gym. We will be doing a class-wide activity today.”

She turned to the students and began roll call with “Alistair, Fox”.

Minutes later, Yang stepped into the locker room, ignoring Melanie and Miltia's usual garbage. She had heard how they spoke to Weiss earlier, and couldn't stand the sight of them at the moment.

“What do you think the activity is?” Neon asked, as she started quickly changing.

Yang noticed, as usual, that Neon always hurried right to her locker without looking at anyone, changed in an instant, then scurried out. It must have been a survival tactic she had learned, due to everyone's willingness to call her out simply for being there.

“I heard we'll be working in teams,” Nora said. “Teams of four, from what Coco said.”

“Ooh,” Yang said. “That sounds badass. Will we get to choose or will the teachers choose for us?”

“I think we choose,” Nora said.

“Hell yeah,” Yang said, as Neon hurried out of the locker room. “Think it'll be another relay race?”

“We just did those a few weeks ago,” Pyrrha said. “I doubt it. Maybe an obstacle course?”

“That's not exactly a team activity,” Nora said. “Capture the flag?”

“That's a lot of teams for capture the flag,” Yang said, as she threw her jersey on. “Well, we'll see.”

Yang stepped out and hopped up next to Fox and Neon, who had taken a seat on the bleachers.

After a minute or two, Glynda counted students as Weiss left the office in her gym uniform, and Nora and Dove exited their respective locker rooms. Satisfied with her count, Glynda nodded to Theodore.

“Alright, before we head up, we're gonna form teams!” Theodore cheered. “We need some volunteers for team leaders. Ten, specifically. I'll take five, Coach Goodwitch will take the other five.”

Several hands went up.

“Ladies first,” Theodore winked.

Glynda rolled her eyes.

“Ms. Valkyrie,” Glynda said. Nora hopped up, and stood next to Glynda.

“Mr. Black,” Theodore called. Mercury came and joined them.

“Mx. Alistair,” Glynda said.

“Mr. Bronzewing!” Theodore called.

“Ms. Xiao Long,” Glynda said.

“Mr. Marigold!” Theodore yelled.

“Ms. Blight,” Glynda called.

“Mr. Standall!” Theodore called.

“Ms. Zedong,” Glynda said.

“Mr. Prescott!” Theodore concluded.

“You ten will each form teams of four,” Glynda said. “Each of you can select three voluntary teammates to work with through this activity.”

It took a few minutes for teams to form. Yang's team consisted of Weiss, Neon, and Flynt. Nora's team was completed by Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha. Henry obviously had the Malachites join his team, completing the group with another rather pretentious student named Marcus Cole. Before long, everyone was headed up to the school's second gym, which was usually there so that if both classes needed to use the gym at the same time, they could with ease.

This time, however, everyone was either shocked or pleased to see that an obstacle course had been assembled, consisting of a climbing net, several pads clearly meant to be jumped between, monkey bars, hoops meant to mimic tires in a military training course, a ten-foot climbing wall, a series of poles, and then a climbing rope with a bell at the top.

“I'm sure you're all familiar with obstacle courses,” Glynda said, as they all stared in awe.

“Like _Ninja Warrior_ or _Wipeout_!” Theodore bombastically added.

“Today's obstacle course has a twist, however,” Glynda said. “Teamwork is just as important as physical prowess. You will be graded on your _team_ 's completion time, not just your own. Each of you will be taking the course as a team, and you will be allowed to assist each other in the obstacles. Your team is done once the final member has rung the bell at the top of the climbing rope.”

“So,” Theodore called. “Who's first? Two teams can go at once.”

Without hesitation, Dove and his team volunteered, as did Nora's team.

“Everyone, do a quick warm-up,” Theodore said. “Then we'll get started!”

Yang knew she was grinning like an idiot. She loved challenges like this.

“Okay,” Yang said, as her team began to warm up. “Anyone have anything you think you'll need help on?”

“All of the climbing,” Weiss said.

“Fair,” Yang said. “I'll get to the top and give you a hand... aside from the rope. You're kinda on your own there.”

“We've got this,” Neon grinned.

“Hey, coach!” Flynt called. “Is there a reward for best time?”

“Pizza party!” Theodore answered. “Best time from each class is invited.”

“Are we talkin' Little Caesar's or Pizza Hut?” Nora asked.

“Pizza Hut,” Theodore answered.

“Ooh,” Yang said. “Let's win this, alright?”

Once the warm-up came to a close, the first teams sprang forward.

Dove's team was strong, but their teamwork was abhorrent, and Nora's team flew far ahead. Ren was the final member of their team to ring the bell, ending their time at a remarkable minute and forty-four seconds. Due to lack of teamwork, Dove's team finished in a total of two minutes and fifty-seven seconds.

Next up, Yang volunteered her team, which ran against Henry Marigold's team.

Yang went up the net with incredible ease, Neon reaching the top right behind her.

Flynt was with them in less than a second, but Weiss held the group back a few seconds while Neon and Yang pulled her up.

They then leapt across the pads, which everyone handled very well.

Neon slipped briefly, but Flynt caught her and pushed her the correct direction.

The monkey bars would easily be one of the harder parts of the run. Yang predictably got across first, and Flynt was only a second behind.

Neon, however, fell and needed to start the bars over. She made it her second time around rather impressively quickly, and Weiss made it halfway across when Yang and Neon urged her to jump. They caught her, and pulled her back up.

The hoops slowed them all down a little, but didn't pose a huge issue.

Flynt actually made it to the top of the wall first, and Yang and Neon were right behind him. Weiss was drenched in sweat at this point, and was easily the last person to finish.

They flew through the poles without difficulty, and got to the rope. Flynt hopped on first, while Weiss took a breather.

“Is this a bad time to mention I don't like heights?” Weiss panted.

“You got this,” Yang said, as Flynt returned to the ground. Yang gave her a push forward, not giving her enough time to panic about the height.

“Um,” Weiss said, as she started to climb.

“You can do this, Weiss!” Yang called. “I know you can.”

Yang didn't know what exactly prompted it, but after her words, Weiss continued to climb, much faster than Yang ever thought she could.

When the bell rang out, and then Weiss climbed back down, Yang watched with a grin as she shakily stepped back onto solid ground so Neon could take her place.

“That was terrifying,” Weiss gasped.

“Told you you could do it,” Yang grinned.

It must have been from the rapid breathing, but Weiss' face turned pink.

“Alright,” Yang said, as the bell rang again. “I've got our finale.”

When Neon's feet touched the ground, Yang looked back to see that Henry and his team were just getting past the ten-foot climbing wall.

She laughed as she climbed, watching them all take a quick break upon reaching the poles.

 _Weak_ , Yang thought to herself.

She hit the top of the rope and rang the bell.

“Two minutes, eight seconds!” Glynda called out.

“Not bad!” Nora cheered, as Yang reached the ground.

“I'm sorry,” Weiss winced. “I probably cost us the win.”

“Are you kidding me? Our time was amazing,” Yang said. “And you did way better than I thought you would. For someone that hates athletics, you really did well.”

There it was again, Weiss' face turned pink as she quickly looked away.

Yang shrugged it off, as she went to get a drink.

When she got back, she waited as Henry's team finished the run at a devastating four minutes and fifty-one seconds.

“Better luck next time,” Yang taunted.

“Enjoy it while you can,” Henry retorted. “It'll be the only class you get higher than a C-minus in.”

“Actually, most of my classes, I average A's and B's,” Yang said. “I've only got two D's and you'll never go near them.”

It took Henry a minute, before he rolled his eyes and took a seat.

“That was brutal,” Neon laughed. “Also, remind me not to challenge you to anything athletic. You were a monster out there.”

“Eh, I'd be better if I hadn't slacked off,” Yang said. “I'm gonna work out more often.”

“I mean, I work out, just not the same way,” Neon said.

Yang raised an eyebrow.

“Certain excercises help to... enhance my physique,” Neon explained. “I haven't been on hormones long enough to look this fine without some help.”

“Could you... maybe teach me some of those excercises?” Weiss asked.

“You got it,” Neon said. “Let me know when you wanna start.”

“Hell yeah, workout friends,” Yang said.

“Wait, all of us working out... together?” Weiss asked, slightly panicked. “Like, in the same room? Wearing... cute uniforms? _Sweating?_ ”

Weiss's face went from pink to crimson.

“I, um, need to get some water!” Weiss said nervously, before hurrying off.

“Well, I guess she's out,” Yang said. “Must be a dysphoria thing.”

“I can see that,” Neon nodded. “Anything that draws attention to our bodies can be a really rough experience when dysphoria is thrown into the mix.”

“Huh,” Flynt said, eyes narrowed.

“What?” Yang asked.

“Nothing,” Flynt said.

Yang watched the other teams finish. Nora's team held the record for first, and Henry's team held the record for last. At the end of it all, Yang's team came in third.

Unfortunately, there was no reward for third place, but it put everyone on the team in a good mood.

* * *

Weiss' heart raced as she walked to the cafeteria, having just showered while everyone else was eating, and then changed back into her normal clothes.

_Okay, calm down, Weiss._

_I just... never realized how strong Yang was._

_Where did my strength even come from?_

_I just... wanted to impress her._

Weiss took a seat and began to reapply her makeup, as Yang and Blake talked to Coco and Velvet.

“And that's when we got third place,” Yang explained.

“Nice,” Coco said. “Robyn, Blake, and Arslan were on my team. Guess who got _first place_?”

“No,” Yang gasped.

Blake grinned nodding.

“No one told me Blake was a secret badass,” Coco said.

“I'm stronger than I look,” Blake said. “I can actually carry the average student.”

 _Wow_ , Weiss thought to herself, trying to hide the blushing that crept up her face. _Why do I keep panicking?_

“Between you and Weiss, I'm real surprised by everyone's athletic skill,” Yang said.

“Easily the most satisfying part of it all was Henry's colossal failure,” Weiss chimed in.

“Oh, yeah,” Yang snorted. “Melanie had to redo the monkey bars three times, and no one helped her. They were awful in both teamwork and skill.”

“See, that doesn't surprise me,” Coco said. “They think they're the best at everything, but when it comes down to it, they can't work together to save their lives.”

“I look forward to trying,” Velvet said. “Hopefully, Ruby and Penny will let me work with them.”

“Duh,” Ruby grinned, from Yang's other side. “You're on our team.”

Velvet smiled.

“Thanks,” Velvet said. “Oh, Coco, Mrs. Peach asked me to see if you could help, she needs extra work done in the Home Ec classroom. Laundry needs to be moved through, and she needs to set up a few projects.”

“Hell yeah,” Coco said. “She's always super eager to hand out extra credit. When?”

“Well,” Velvet said. “As soon as you're done eating.”

“Cool,” Coco said.

Weiss looked up, realizing what Velvet had actually said.

_Laundry machines? Here? If I keep doing laundry at Yang's, it'll get suspicious if there's any concrete dust on them... but here..._

“Could I help, too?” Weiss asked.

“Sure,” Velvet said. “The more, the merrier.”

“I mean, if she wants help, I'd be happy to join,” Yang said.

“Yeah,” Blake said.

Weiss nervously fidgetted.

“I was actually hoping to get more fashion advice from Coco,” Weiss said.

“Fair enough,” Yang said. “In that case, Blake, wanna go chill in the library?”

“That sounds amazing,” Blake said.

Weiss joined Coco and Velvet as they walked over to Mrs. Peach's classroom.

“I'm glad to hear you're ready for another lesson,” Coco grinned. “I really shouldn't like teaching fashion this much, but I do.”

“I'm more than eager to learn,” Weiss nodded. “But I had one other question. Those laundry machines you mentioned, are they available to students?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Velvet said. “We use them all the time to clean our gym uniforms, but they're also here for anyone who can't afford to clean their clothes at home, as long as you aren't lugging a laundry hamper to school.”

“Is it free?” Weiss asked.

“Yup,” Coco said, as they walked in. “You can thank Mrs. Peach for that. She really likes to help out students however she can.”

“That's incredibly kind of her,” Weiss agreed.

“Alright, I'm going to move over the laundry,” Velvet said, giving Coco a kiss on the cheek.

“Not so fast,” Coco said. “What is this, a PG movie?”

Velvet rolled her eyes, and kissed her directly, before going to get started on laundry.

“Once you're done blushing, I can start going over prep aesthetic with you,” Coco chuckled.

“I'm not blushing,” Weiss said.

“You are,” Coco said.

“I...” Weiss sighed. “I'm sorry.”

“For what? Honestly, it's adorable,” Coco grinned.

“I guess I just get nervous around acts of affection,” Weiss admitted.

Coco stared at her for a moment, then spoke.

“You know, it will eventually happen for you, too,” Coco said.

_Wow, straight through my defenses. How, Coco?_

“I...” Weiss stammered. “I know.”

Coco tilted her head forward, to look at Weiss over her sunglasses, giving her the _'really?'_ look.

“Rude,” Weiss scoffed.

“Please, I can spot a disaster lesbian from a mile away,” Coco said. “Actually, I don't know your sexuality. But I've seen a lot of disaster lesbians, and you fit the description.”

“Disaster lesbian?” Weiss asked.

“Yup,” Coco said. “Blushes and turns into an incoherent mess around your crush, gets nervous around intimacy, I know the type.”

Weiss huffed, folding her arms.

“For the record,” Weiss began. “I... I'm pretty sure I am attracted soley to women.”

“Yeah,” Coco said. “So... a lesbian.”

“I...” Weiss sighed. “I feel uncomfortable saying that. Like it's not my term to use.”

“Why?” Coco scoffed.

“Because... well... I was born... male,” Weiss said, as dysphoria sank in again.

“For one, nope,” Coco said. “You don't become your gender identity, Weiss. You eventually just stop hiding it. You're a gal, and you always have been.”

“I've just recently seen people online get upset when trans women use that term,” Weiss said.

“Yeah,” Coco rolled her eyes. “Those people also get pissed if a woman who has ever had sex with a man uses that term, even if it was just them being in the closet and trying to keep up appearances. Word of advice, stay away from any purists like that. If you're a woman, and you're attracted to women, you can use the term lesbian to describe yourself.”

Weiss nodded.

“And around Yang, you're a total disaster lesbian,” Coco said.

“Am not!” Weiss immediately said, blushing.

Coco laughed, incredibly amused.

“Sure,” Coco said. “But just so you know, that's a disaster lesbian response.”

Weiss only replied with a 'hmph!' and then folded her arms again.

“Now, I can teach you fashion, or I can teach you more about making it as a gay woman,” Coco said. “Honestly, I'm cool with either one. Just let me know.”

“I'll stick to fashion for now,” Weiss said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I uploaded, so I'm sorry about that, y'all. I'm not abandoning the story, I just have other projects so updates may be a bit less frequent for a while. 
> 
> So, yeah.
> 
> For anyone that didn't catch it, I have a tumblr set up now where you can get updates about Chrysalis, so feel free to give it a look and follow if you want. 
> 
> Stay safe out there, y'all.


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